Summer of the War
by RHr Fan
Summary: Love. Hate. Confusion. Death. And they haven't even started their sixth year at Hogwarts yet. Summer before sixth year. RHr and HG Chap 11 up...complete!
1. Inpenetrable Darkness

A/n: Well, this isn't my first fic, so don't get scared...I actually know how to do this and I'm only slightly nauseous. For this fic, I only wanted to write about the summer because I'm actually too scared about what'll happen during their actual sixth year to even write about it. Anyway, I hope you like this fic, it's my second attempt at a long term fic, and seeing as I didn't finish my first one cuz OotP came out before I could finish, I intend to write this one and the sequel diligently. One lesson I have learned that I will most definitely not be doing every single chapter in this fic like my last one is that Hermione doesn't cry every time she has a row with Ron. Hehe. Okay, I've talked enough.

Disclaimer: No, I don't own these characters, sadly, no matter how much I love them. They all belong to the brilliant JKR who has much better plot points than me. But the plot is mine so w00t!

**Summer of the War**

There had been times when he wished he could sleep endlessly. Then there were the times where he wished he could open some magical--ironic as that may be--portal to another safe, less complicated world where he didn't have to deal with the troubles eating away at him. Never, however, had there been a time when he wished he, Harry Potter, were dead.

But he had now come to know such a time.

The unfairness, the cruel ways of life were really starting to annoy him. Why him? Why someone who had loved life, despite the harsh treatments it had paid him? Why was it he, of all people, who had to pay?

Harry had to admit that he was still in denial. Denial mixed with anger, really. Anger at himself. Anger at the fact that, had he remembered the stupid mirror, his godfather might still be around to give him an awkward yet loving one-armed hug, or have Sirius's barklike laugh ringing in his ears. If only he had remembered.

_Everything happens for a reason. _What a lie. Stupid Muggle saying. It wasn't true. How was there any good reasoning behind Sirius's death? What good could come out of it? No. It didn't happen for a reason. It just happened because of someone who he now loathed as much as he loathed Voldemort, someone whose spiteful face haunted his dreams, someone who was so loyal to a being that inflicted such pain. Pain like he was feeling now.

Who cared if he could go visit the Weasleys? Who cared if Dumbledore had, maybe as a way to try to forgive himself for his mistake, allowed Harry to go to the Burrow after 2 weeks at Privet Drive? He most certainly didn't care. He didn't care about anything much. He didn't want his friends, he didn't want Dumbledore's pity, he didn't want the idiotic fame that followed him around for having some godforsaken mark on his forehead. He didn't want any of that crap. All he wanted was Sirius. More than anything, he wanted Sirius back.

He thought of Lupin, for the first time since Sirius's death. Remus Lupin was possibly the only person who could understand him. Harry remembered his voice when Sirius had fallen through the archway and past the veil. He had sounded so lifeless, so filled with agony. For the second time in his life, his best friend had been ripped from him.

How he hated her. Hate so powerful filled Harry the moment he realized Sirius was gone for good all because of her. With her disgusting smirk and her sinister heavy-lidded eyes. How he hated her.

Ron and Hermione. They were willing to comfort him. They were willing to be around him, after seeing the demise of people so close to him. They were still there. Harry smiled slightly to himself. Where would he be without them? On the train ride home from Hogwarts, they had managed to lift the pain from Harry's heavy heart slightly, just with their company. But now they were so far away. Okay, sure, he had permission to go see them, but a part of him didn't want to go. He wanted to lie in bed, waiting to wake up from this terrible nightmare, waiting for the magic portal to open, or maybe wait for life to slowly seep out of his body, ridding him from this ruthless world. Of course, he knew none of this would happen, but how he wished it would.

Harry blinked. This room must be really dusty. Why else would there be that incessant prickling in his eyes?

Funny, really. He missed Sirius more than he missed his parents. He had once heard someone say that you can't miss something you never had. He could agree with that. He never felt he had had his parents. How could he, seeing as he didn't remember them. But Sirius...he had been there. He had spent time with Harry. He had been around to give him advice. Harry couldn't decide what hurt more: the fact that he would never see Sirius again or that he missed him so much.

Laying his head on his pillow, he sighed and closed his eyes, cutting off the sunlight and plunging him into darkness. That's what it felt like now. Darkness. How could light penetrate such infinite darkness? It couldn't. Impossible. That's all it would be now. Impenetrable darkness.

_You have to put up with the rain to get to the rainbow._ Another foolish Muggle saying. For him, there was no end to the rain. The storm would rage on forever, whether within or without him.

Lying there with his eyes closed, he made the wish he had made so many times this summer. _Let me sleep forever...let me never wake up._

**END POV**

Sunlight was streaming through the open window. No, it didn't feel this way. It felt like rain was pounding the windows. Sunlight didn't belong amidst so much anguish. A slight breeze played with his red hair. He rubbed his eyes. If he felt this way, he didn't want to imagine how Harry felt.

"Hey, Ron, are you okay?" He felt a hand on his arm. His head whipped around to look at a pair of chocolate brown eyes, full of concern like they constantly were, staring back at him. Hermione had her eyebrows raised. "What's wrong?"

Ron shook his head. He grabbed his quill from where he had thrown it on the table and began copying ingredients for the Ridicule Riddance potion. Hermione sighed. "You're thinking about Harry, aren't you?" The sound of a scratching quill stopped abruptly. Without looking up at her--she would see his eyes getting clouded if he did--he nodded. She clicked her tongue. "Me too...but there's nothing we can do, is there?"

Swallowing a lump in his throat, Ron looked up. "Of course there is!" he said, a little more snappishly than he meant to. "I mean," he said, his voice softening, "we could, you know, be there for him...well, this wouldn't help much but we could...we could just keep him company." Hermione gave him a tiny smile, which he gladly returned. But a thought crossed his mind that made the smile fade. "That is, if he decides to come," he added, with a hint of bitterness in his tone of voice.

"What do you mean?"

Ron shrugged. "You know how Dumbledore said he could come and stay with us after 2 weeks?" Hermione nodded. "Well, I sent him an owl as soon as we found out--I expect he heard from Dumbledore, too--and he hasn't answered. And 2 weeks was five days ago."

Hermione bit her lip. "Oh," she said softly. "I don't know, Ron, maybe it's best if we don't get our hopes up." Ron opened his mouth to argue but Hermione kept talking. "No, I mean it. Look, after what happened, don't you think Harry might want to spend some time alone? Think about it. Maybe he doesn't want to be around us because we can't sympathize, not really, because we've never...we've never lost a loved one, we've never seen someone die."

Ron nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. But I thought maybe we were the part of his life that gave him something to be happy about," he said, rather sadly. Instinctively, Hermione reached for his hand. When she touched his fingers, she saw his ears grow pink at the tips and she smiled to herself. "We are. Just give him some time. He'll come around."

**END POV**

_Dear Ron (and Hermione, I guess),_

_I'm tired of staying here. There's nothing to do except think about stuff I don't want to think about. Well, I suppose you guys don't really need that. I just need someone to take me there and that's it. Come whenever you want, I don't care. The sooner, the better, though. Thanks and see you soon, I guess._

_Harry_

There. That would do. He wasn't really in the mood to write a long detailed letter explaining why he hadn't answered before--Ron had owled him a week ago, and Harry had even managed to put up with Pigwidgeon hooting madly, with Hedwig scowling more and more every day. He crossed the room to the now very dirty cage and snatched Pigwidgeon out. "Okay, you're going home now," he muttered. He could have sworn he heard Hedwig sigh with relief--well, at least the scowl left her face. Pigwidgeon pranced around on his desk after he miraculously managed to tie the letter to his leg. Harry opened the window and said, "Go on, then." Pigwidgeon gave him a friendly hoot (Hedwig hissed slightly) and zoomed lopsidedly out the window.

Soon Harry would be back with the people who loved him. Now that Sirius was gone, the Weasleys, Hermione, and Lupin were the only family he had.

**END POV**

"Why do we have to do this? This is supposed to be a holiday. As in, a break from this ton of dung you call homework," Ron muttered playfully.

Hermione gave him a Look. "Ron, we're _prefects_," she said for the thousandth time. "We're _role models_. We're supposed to set an _example _for younger students." How many times had she had this talk with him? Even if she had a counter, it wouldn't have enough numbers to count the number of times she'd given him this lecture. It was different now. Like he was doing it out of comfortable habit, like he enjoyed talking to her. But that was silly. Why would he enjoy being lectured by Hermione Granger? He'd hated it ever since they'd met.

Ron snorted and waved a hand. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, and we're supposed to get all our work done adequately, blah blah bloody blah." He grinned. "Honestly, Hermione, you're relentless. You don't quit at anything. That's pretty amazing."

She felt a blush tingeing her cheeks. She tore her eyes away from the sapphire ones staring at her and stared at the intricate way her letters connected to each other. _You are a mess, do you know that? You are letting a simple statement get to you. He doesn't mean that HE thinks you're amazing, he means that it simply IS amazing that you can be so studious. _Ooh, she hated that silly little voice in her head. The voice that had to find a logical explanation to everything. The voice that wouldn't give her a moment's daydream. What had it said after the Yule Ball? _Do you honestly believe he LIKES you because he was arguing with you about Viktor? Oh, I thought you were clever! You are disappointing me, Hermione! Please. Ron just resents that Fleur Delacour rejected him and he's amazed that you of all people could get a date on your own and he couldn't. He's not JEALOUS of Viktor, how can you even begin to imagine that?!_

Maybe logic, when it came to matters of Ron Weasley, wasn't really all that great. The voice she enjoyed listening to certainly acted that way. For instance, right now it was saying, _See, Hermione? Do you recognize that? It's called a compliment! Ron's given you a ton of those and you know it! Yes you do but you won't admit it. Oh, come on, you're smart enough to know that he likes you about as much as you like him. Look at his ears right now. Bright red! Just how you like them. Honestly, do something about it! _

The most confusing part was that she wouldn't listen to either voice. Oh, she didn't think that Ron didn't like her; there was definitely a possibility that he _did_, although only Merlin knew why. But she wasn't about to just say, "Yeah, by the way, I might have forgotten to mention that I've fancied you for the past five years." That would just freak him out. She didn't want _that_.

"Hermione?"

Ron's voice snapped her out of her deep reverie. She blinked rapidly, her eyes rather wide, and said, "Erm, yeah, I just...what did you ask again?"

He started to snigger but stopped suddenly. "I didn't ask anything," he said. "Why, what were you thinking about? Probably something really important, since you obviously weren't paying attention to me. You were probably thinking of how to knit house-elf sweaters now, that's definitely more important than listening to me, your best friend. Or maybe..." He snapped his fingers. "I KNEW IT! You're in contact with Vicky aren't you? You're probably thinking of what to tell him in your next letter, about how you're stuck here doing homework with _me_!"

"Ron, STOP!" Hermione snapped. "Really, you are being SO silly. No, I'm not thinking about _Viktor_--stop calling him Vicky already. And will you stop accusing me and jumping to conclusions like that?"

"I will, as soon as you tell me what was so damn important that you had to ignore me," Ron said, looking livid.

"No, I don't think I will, you'd just find another excuse to accuse me about sneaking out to visit Viktor in the middle of the night or something--"

"WHAT?? Don't tell me you've actually been doing that, 'cause if you have--"

Hermione closed her eyes, praying for patience with the hot-tempered red head she was so fond of. "_Let's just drop it right there! _Honestly, why would you think I would do that, Viktor is just my friend--"

Ron snorted. "Friend, my arse." He ignored the reproaching look she gave him for swearing. "If he's your _friend_, then why--"

But Ron was interrupted, not by Hermione, but by a small ball of gray fluff that zoomed in through the window and hooted happily as it hit his face. "Stupid bloody bird," he muttered, picking Pigwidgeon off his face and untying the letter wrapped around the minute owl's leg. "Go away," he said, glaring at the bird. Pigwidgeon gave an indignant hoot and flew out of the room, probably to Ginny's room.

"Troll of a bird, that git, flying into my face like a ruddy--Harry's coming!" Ron's face lit up. "He says he just needs someone to bring him over and--MUM!"

"Ron! Don't do that, it's rude! Go down and talk to her properly!" Hermione scolded. Ron tried to hide a grin and ran down the stairs, still shouting, "MUM!" Hermione giggled. _That's Ron for you_, both voices said, rather amused.

**END POV**

The doorbell rang.

"MUM!" came Dudley's piggy little voice. "If that's the pizza man, tell him thanks a lot for keeping me waiting, tell him he's a prat, tell him I ordered the pizza five minutes ago and that they're late."

Harry shook his head. Aunt Petunia couldn't get any thicker for her own good. She allowed Dudley to eat junk like pizza as long as he "stuck to his diet." Did the woman not realize that Dudley was always going to resemble a slightly large baby dinosaur?

Aunt Petunia's shriek of, "You! VERNON, COME DOWN HERE!" told Harry it most definitely was not the pizza man. Snatching Hedwig's cage, he began dragging his trunk down the stairs. As he reached the bottom steps, he saw Mr. Weasley looking slightly harassed under Uncle Vernon's icy glare. Ginny was standing behind Mr. Weasley. She looked up, met Harry's eyes, grinned, and waved. Harry returned the grin and wave, feeling his stomach do a slight somersault. _Must be the meat loaf Aunt Petunia made for dinner. _Uncle Vernon's neck less purple face rounded on him, his piggy eyes looking furious.

"You didn't tell me you were being picked up by the freaks, boy!" he bellowed. Harry didn't flinch.

"Like you would care," he responded.

Mr. Weasley cleared his throat. "Now, Mr. Dursley, let's act like civilized men."

Uncle Vernon's eyes widened. "Don't you dare talk to me about civilized people, not being one of--one of them!" He turned back to Harry and opened his mouth, but Mr. Weasley began speaking before Uncle Vernon could utter a word.

"Come now, Mr. Dursley, let's not call each other names. And don't mistreat Harry like this. I daresay you do remember the chat you had with myself and another somewhat, er, misshapen gentleman?" The corners of Mr. Weasley's mouth twitched. Harry choked back a snigger and, apparently, so did Ginny.

Uncle Vernon shot a dirty look at Mr. Weasley before turning to Harry and saying, in a voice of forced politeness, "Good-bye," and after gulping, "Harry." Harry smirked and strode past him. Mr. Weasley took his trunk and headed toward a small, hot pink car. Harry followed grinning; he imagined what Uncle Vernon must be making of such a car. Ginny looked back, said, "Bye now!" and followed Harry.

On the drivers seat was Mundungus, smelling strongly of tequila. No longer wondering where the car had come from, Harry said, "Hi, Dung." Mundungus nodded and muttered, "G'day, 'Arry."

"C'mon, Harry," Ginny said, opening the back doors. Harry smiled and held open the door. She looked confused for a moment. "Wha--oh, thanks," she said, climbing in. Harry followed her with an odd queasy feeling in his stomach. _Damn meatloaf. _When Mr. Weasley had jumped in, Mundungus set off, driving at funny speeds.

Harry cleared his throat and glanced sideways at Ginny. "So...heard from Dean?" He still couldn't believe that Ginny had yet another boyfriend, and Dean of all people! Not that Ginny shouldn't have a boyfriend, and Dean wasn't a bad guy...it was just that Harry had always thought of Ginny as a little girl, and knowing she had a boyfriend...well, it put her in a much different perspective.

Ginny smiled. "Yeah, says he's great. He's in Ireland, over at Seamus's place."

Harry nodded. "Is that so?" he said, feigning interest. If he really called herself her boyfriend, he should have been around her more. At least it was what Harry would have done. He kept this to himself, though, watching Ginny's face against the setting sun behind her.

She sighed. "I don't know about this. Dean's really nice but...oh, I don't know, it doesn't feel too right, you know?"

Harry grinned inwardly and nodded. "Well, yeah, after a while, it got kind of weird, being together with Cho and all. I'm glad I'm free of that, to tell you the truth." Ginny nodded but didn't say anything more. The rest of the ride to the Burrow was pretty quiet, except, when they were reaching Ottery St. Catchpole, Ginny spoke.

"Ron and Hermione really missed you. You should have seen Ron when he got your response. He was screaming for Mum to get you a ride over here and hasn't stopped beaming ever since. They're both really glad that you decided to come. So am I." Harry swallowed a strange lump in his throat. Ginny smiled and added, "It's nice to have another friend around."

Oh. "Yeah, friends...friends are great," Harry noted rather stupidly, and said no more as they arrived at the Burrow.

While he and Ginny took his trunk out, Mr. Weasley spoke to Mundungus. "You sure you don't want to stay for dinner, Dung?"

Mundungus shook his head. "Erm, no, I don't think so, Arthur, I'll pass, thanks." He kept looking around anxiously, as if wanting to leave before Mrs. Weasley saw the car, which, in Harry's opinion, was rather wise.

"Well, thanks anyway," Mr. Weasley said, shaking Mundungus's hand.

"No problem, really, Arthur, my pleasure...g'bye, 'Arry, Ginny." And with that, he sped away.

Ginny giggled. "Dung's a nice guy, even if Mum's not too fond of him." She and Harry laughed. Mr. Weasley dragged Harry's trunk to the front door, followed by Ginny and Harry, who was carrying Hedwig's cage.

The door swung open before Mr. Weasley even knocked. Mrs. Weasley bounded out and embraced Harry so tightly he could scarcely breathe. "Oh, I'm so glad you're here, Harry dear, we've missed you so much!"

"Fanks, Mrs. Weezy," came Harry's muffled voice.

Feet were pounding down the stairs. Mrs. Weasley let go of him just in time to see Ron and Hermione appearing, both wearing overjoyed grins. Hermione threw her arms around his neck, obscuring his vision with her uncontrollable hair. When she let go of him, Ron clapped him on the back and said, "Great to have you here, mate."

Harry's last greeting came as he was walking in. "Hello again, Pig," he said when the tiny owl slammed cheerfully into his face. Everyone chuckled. _Maybe it's not such a bad idea, being here._

A/n: so? Like it? Well, I hope I get a lot of feedback from you guys and I'll try to update soon, with a chapter that includes less angst and more R/Hr-ness. And I know that they really can't communicate much over owls, but I just put this exception.

Isa =)


	2. Many Musings

A/n: Wow, I was surprised at the feedback I got for the fic! Not only surprised but very very happy! Thanx to everyone who reviewed and who told me they liked this--your compliments make me want to keep writing all the time! Okay, well, on with the story...

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own this

**Chapter 2: Many Musings**

"It's him!" Ron yelled. "Hermione, he's here!" Hermione smiled. It was like seeing a five-year-old jump up and down in excitement at the arrival of his playtime friend. Which she found extremely cute. Funny how she kept noticing these adorable qualities in Ron...you'd think that after so many years of doing so she would have run out of cute aspects about him! But no, he gave her reasons to like him more every day. Her thoughts were interrupted when Ron grabbed her hand swiftly.

Hermione bit her lip. She couldn't understand why this meant so much to her. After all, it was just a simple touch. Then again, she found it signified much more to her because it was _Ron's _touch. It felt so--what was the correct word?--it felt _right_. But whenever this thought popped into her head (something that happened more often than not), she would also remember that this probably meant nothing to Ron, that he didn't feel his stomach doing somersaults, that his breath didn't catch in his throat when he touched her.

"Come on!" Ron said cheerfully. Hermione grinned and let him tug her out of the room and down the stairs. She couldn't take her eyes off their hands, entwined as they raced down the stairs. It was somewhat ironic how her small hand fit snugly in Ron's rather large one. As they stepped off the last step, Hermione saw Ron glance towards the door, his mother having just dashed out. She could hear Ginny and Mr. Weasley laughing and Mrs. Weasley squealing. Ron's eyebrows furrowed slightly and, to Hermione's disappointment, released her hand quite abruptly. He nodded more to himself than to her and ran towards the door. Hermione closed her eyes briefly and shook her head vaguely before following him.

She and Ron were met at the door with the sight of their best friend in a bone-crushing embrace with Mrs. Weasley. When she released him, Hermione zoomed forward and threw her arms around him. She was so glad he was safe. Everything had hung with such an ominous feeling lately and with Harry so far away, Hermione couldn't help but feel an anxious churn in her stomach whenever she thought of Harry, all alone to grieve at Privet Drive. She understood why Ron was so frustrated. There was no way they could commiserate. She and Ron hadn't lost someone so close to them; Sirius had been the closest to a father Harry had ever had, closer than even Mr. Weasley. Just when Harry was starting to accommodate himself to Sirius being there for him, always willing to talk to him and give him advice, he had been ripped from him so brutally. She hadn't been there to witness his demise but Harry had. He had seen him before he tumbled through the archway. Professor Lupin had told her and Ron, in a shaky voice, what had happened. Shaking these sorrowful thoughts out of her head, she released Harry.

Ron clapped Harry heartily on the back. Harry smiled but Hermione noticed that it didn't reach his eyes. The emerald green seemed faded, and there was a hollow, lifeless look about them.

"I'll take your stuff upstairs for you, Harry," said Ginny, picking up his trunk. Harry nodded and thanked her. Hermione grabbed Hedwig's cage and said, "Yeah, I'll come with you, Gin."

The teenage girls made their way slowly up the stairs. Hermione looked sideways at Ginny, who was unnaturally quiet. "What's wrong?" she asked the younger girl. Ginny looked up, gave her a weak smile, and shook her head. She was quiet for a moment; then she said, "Harry's really devastated...he was so quiet on the way here..."

"Oh, I know, Gin, but there's really nothing we can do about that. You know how hard it hit him..."

Ginny nodded. "But Harry's not the only thing on my mind."

Hermione didn't have to ask. She could already predict that Ginny was thinking about her boyfriend, Dean Thomas. She had been talking like mad about him all summer, until she got her first owl from him. "Is there something wrong with Dean?"

Ginny smiled. "You know too much. Well, it's not Dean, it's more my problem. I like him, he's a really great guy and everything but...I dunno, at times it feels sort of...forced, if you get what I mean."

It was Hermione's turn to nod. "Yes, I do. Oh, but I feel so useless...I can't really give you any useful advice since I've never really had a boyfriend." For some reason, Ginny started sniggering. "What?" Hermione asked, puzzled.

"No, nothing, it's just that I think that'll change soon."

"What's _that _supposed to mean?"

Ginny shook her head. "Nothing. Anyway, look, you're a girl, and I need advice from another girl...I can't ask Mum for advice 'cause she gushes over me and gets teary-eyed every time I mention I have a boyfriend. It's like she expects me to come home for the summer to plan tea parties with my teddy bears and dolls."

Hermione chuckled. "Okay, I'll tell you what I think. I'm not trying to offend you but I think you might be hurt that Michael broke up with you and are finding a sort of consolation in Dean. I bet he's too busy drooling to notice that you guys don't have a strong basis for this relationship, exactly."

Ginny looked at her in admiration. "I have no idea how you can understand this so much even though you've never had a boyfriend. Of course, if my assumptions are correct, and I'm pretty positive they are, you're gonna be taken soon enough..."

Hermione stopped at the top of the stairs. "That's it. I'm not moving till you tell me what you mean."

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "You mean you want me to stand here and say, so everyone can hear, that you like R--"

"_Why don't we go to your room?!_" Hermione half-screamed. She raced into the boys' room, set Hedwig on the desk, and zoomed off into Ginny's room, where she waited while the Weasley girl left Harry's trunk in his room.

When Ginny came in, Hermione gave her a sharp look, her lips thin. Ginny sniggered. Hermione blinked rapidly and said, "Don't _do _that!"

Ginny tilted her head to the right. "Do what? Snigger or say that you fancy my brother dearest?"

"Shh!" Hermione said urgently. "Just because you know doesn't mean the whole entire _world _needs to know!"

"Um, Hermione, I hate to break it to you, but they've kind of noticed by now." Ginny's mouth twitched at the corners and it was obvious that she was trying very hard not to laugh.

Hermione shook her head. "No they haven't. I bet they all have some crazy idea that I belong with Harry." Hermione gave Ginny a quick glance to see what her reaction was, but Ginny seemed not to care. "It's ridiculous! Honestly, Harry and me? Never. We've got more of an unconditional friendship. People just can't stop eating up that rubbish Rita wrote in fourth year. And then there are the ones, like Ron, who believe that I'm marrying Viktor the moment I finish school! No, never Harry and me or Viktor and me. We're all just friends."

"But..."

It was Hermione's turn to laugh. "Yes. But Ron...well, I guess I don't need to tell you since you are so keen to finding out everything that goes on around here. But nobody else has noticed! I mean, come on, all we ever do is bicker incessantly! It's a good thing we don't have claws, that's all I'm saying."

"Wake up. Can you smell that?" Ginny exaggerated sniffing the air. "It smells like _reality_. If you stopped arguing with that prat for one second you would notice that everyone thinks you make the perfect couple. Trust me, it'll be no surprise to anyone when you two get together--"

"Beg your pardon?"

Ginny sighed exasperatedly. "Please, Hermione! Don't tell me you think this is one sided!" Hermione gave Ginny a sheepish look, which the red head returned with a withering one. "I thought you had brains in that head. Ron can't stop drooling over you. How many times did he write to you before you came over?" Hermione opened her mouth but Ginny answered her own question. "_Daily_. He wrote to you every bloody day! Oh, and don't tell me you missed his reaction at the Gryffindor breakfast table the day of the first Quidditch match when you gave him a kiss on the cheek. He wouldn't have been walking if Harry hadn't been half dragging him up to the Quidditch pitch. And he wouldn't stop touching his cheek." Ginny placed a finger to her chin in mock-thoughtfulness. "I'm willing to bet he hasn't even _washed _that cheek since then. Maybe he's hoping that it'll be too dirty and next time you'll go for his lips instead of his cheek." Ginny laughed heartily at her own joke.

Hermione had gone from pale to red and back to pale. She stuttered for a moment, then said, "That's nothing. Anybody would do that...right?" Ginny gave her a you-know-better-than-that look. "Look, Ginny, I'm not the type of girl your brother wants okay? My hair is like twice the size of my head, my eyes are the dullest things you've seen, and I look like I'm eleven rather than almost sixteen. Besides, it seems that Weasleys are the kind that like veelas, from what I've heard about Bill. And I am nothing close to veela! Oh, and did I'm mention that I'm bossy and a know-it-all and--"

"--brilliant and a great friend and funny and caring and must I go on or do you get the point? And so what if you're stubborn, he is too." Hermione smiled. Ginny shook her head and continued. "Hermione, you are such a nice person. You don't leave me out or treat me like I'm three. You are so smart it amazes me. No, it's not book smarts because I've heard you've come up with plans that are quite clever. Probably most important, you are loyal. I can't believe it, but I'm sure you would give your life for those two gits. And you're so much more! But what I like most about you are those three things: you're nice, clever, and loyal."

"Great. I'm a dog."

Ginny burst out laughing. Clutching her side, she gasped, "And funny. You're actually pretty funny."

Hermione shook her head. "Whatever. I just know that Ron doesn't like me and never will, trust me. It's my fault for being stupid and falling for my best friend. I mean, who's thick enough to go and do a thing like that? At least I'm smart enough to keep it to myself and not tell him." She nodded curtly and said, "Well, come on, we need to make Harry feel welcome, although I'm sure your mum has beat us to it."

Ginny grinned. "About Harry..."

"You can't help it if it doesn't go away all too quickly. He's the first boy you ever fancied, and I don't think I'm mistaken when I say that's it's become more than a crush?" Ginny nodded. "Don't worry. I know you're trying to forget him. Hey, he thinks you're over him. That helps, doesn't it?"

Ginny laughed and said, "Yes, yes it does, thanks for telling him that."

Hermione stood and hugged her friend. "No problem, Gin. Now, what do you say we go downstairs?"

Ginny took a step forward and stopped. "You know, if you end up marrying my brother--"Hermione blushed. "--and Harry marries me--"now Ginny blushed. "--then we'd all be one big happy Weasley family." Hermione laughed and said, "Yup, big and happy." She put one arm around Ginny and they both walked out of the room, not at all minding the idea of a big happy Weasley family.

**END POV**

Harry sat quietly in Ron's bedroom, gazing out the small window at the starry sky. His best friends lay on the bed on their stomachs in front of each other, their legs in the air, glaring at each other over a chess board displaying Hermione losing horridly to Ron.

"Check!" Ron said triumphantly and sniggered. "This is too easy...my brain needs more of a challenge."

Hermione shot him a dirty look and said, "Yeah, it must feel weird for that tiny brain of yours."

Harry smiled slightly. They were so happy. He was surprised they weren't snogging the living daylights out of each other but he had a feeling that it would happen soon enough and surprisingly wasn't too sickened by the thought. Well, as long as they didn't to it in front of him.

But no matter how much comfortable content surrounded him, he felt hollow and empty. He could explain that. This loss...Merlin, it hurt more than having his heart ripped out and being left to bleed. He really didn't think he could go on. He couldn't sleep at night because the image of Sirius's friendly face was interrupted with a replay of the moment when Bellatrix sent the wretched spell at him; how, in what seemed like slow motion, he had registered what was happening a millisecond before it happened; and how his handsome face still had a half smile plastered on it as he fell through the archway. This haunted him more than anything ever had. More than Cedric lying dead in a graveyard. More than Voldemort rising slowly out of a cauldron. More than corridors ending in locked doors. More even than hearing his mother scream.

He heard Hermione scoff distantly. "Why do I even try?"

"You enjoy feeding my ego. Wait a minute." Ron put his hand to his ear. "It thanks you, kind lady." He grinned as Hermione rolled her eyes playfully.

Harry let his eyes stray to the floor. He hated having to deal with all the burdens. He felt Hermione walk over to him and noticed her feet as she stood in front of him. "Harry, are you all right?" He nodded slightly. Hermione sighed and crouched before him so she could see his eyes. She bit her lip before speaking. "I'm really sorry. I wish I could help. I wish I could tell you that I know how you feel. I wish I could take all those burdens away from you. But I can't and, unfortunately, you have to deal with the pain." Her voice sounded sincere. She was such a great friend.

"Right now, I'd do anything to see a true smile on your face, mate," came Ron's voice, which was beginning to deepen. "You don't deserve this crap." He glanced at Hermione to see if she would chastise him for swearing, but when she didn't, he continued. "Stop blaming yourself 'cause it's not your fault." How did he know? There was another one who knew him better than he knew himself; another priceless friend. Hermione stood and Ron walked over to her. They stood there, side by side, gazing at him with eyes full of love for their best friend. Harry felt a lump in his throat start to grow gradually. A familiar stinging came to his eyes.

He looked up. He could see his tears in Ron and Hermione's eyes. Without thinking twice, he jumped up and embraced the two at the same time, burying his face in the space between their heads and letting the tears fall. He felt his best friends wrap their arms around him.

**END POV**

Ron closed his eyes. This was the first time Harry had ever cried in their presence. This moment felt sacred; they were sharing something without uttering a word. He rubbed Harry's back for a second until his hand hit another. Slowly, he reached for Hermione's fingers and held them with his own. They had been wrong. This is how they could help. This is what he needed. He needed someone who would give him the shoulder to cry on he had never had. He needed someone to love him enough to let him relieve his pent up emotions.

And that's what they were. They were a small shelter from the rain. They were his friends.

**END POV**

"Bloody hell!" Ron muttered as Crookshanks zoomed over his shoes, chasing a sprinting gnome. He shook his head, muttered, "Crazy cat," and kept walking.

He had always loved his backyard. It was so...fresh. When he had been a little boy, before Hogwarts, he had come out every night to lie on his back on the dewy grass, looking up at the navy blue sky. From his backyard, he could always see the stars. He would giggle as he made up his own constellations. He wished he could go back. Those where the times when all he had to worry about was his mum screaming at him for getting his T-shirt dirty or how he would manage to get his hands on a box of Chocolate Frogs. But now...he was starting to understand what it felt like to be an adult--he _would _be turning seventeen in less than a year--and he knew he wouldn't be surprised if he ended up with gray hair among his red locks by the time he was twenty. Yes, he would love to go back to when he was a young kid.

Near the small lake a few yards away from where he stood now he saw someone lying on the grass like he had done so many years ago. He was amazed that, even from a distance, he could see she was twirling her favorite quill in her hand.

He wanted his worry-free childhood back, yes. But if it meant a childhood without her and Harry...well, maybe it was best that time had passed. He didn't know what he would do without them. They were some of the few who accepted him as someone of value, not as "Harry Potter's best friend" or "the Weasley baby boy." No, for some strange reason, they appreciated him for being Ron Weasley, even if they had to put up with his temper. He wasn't rich, brilliant, or charming, yet they really treasured him. He had never done anything special but they wanted him with them. Feeling a sudden gratefulness for having such special friends, he ran over to Hermione.

"Hey," he said softly, dropping into a sitting position next to her. Without taking her eyes off the stars, she murmured, "Hi." Ron stared at her for a moment and then lay down. He took a deep breath and looked up at the stars.

"We should study my constellations in astronomy," he said.

Hermione glanced at him slyly out of the corner of her eyes. "_Your _constellations?" He nodded. "Do tell," she said, sniggering slightly.

"Ha, yeah, funny, but I do have some constellations of my own. It's easy to make things with the stars. It's like connect the dots." He pointed up. "See that up there?" He outlined the shape of a teddy bear with his index finger. "I made that one up to represent my teddy bear when I was six."

Hermione was staring at him. "What was his name?"

Ron smiled. "Erm...Bear." He laughed. "I wasn't a very creative six-year-old, huh?"

"Of course you were! You made up a constellation!" She laughed too. "You know, I think we really should study the constellation of Bear."

"You're making fun of me."

"No! Of course I'm not...now show me another one."

Ron glared playfully at her. "Yeah, okay, I've got one I'm sure you'll _love_." He used his index finger to outline a hand with a single finger sticking up.

"RON!"

"You think it's brilliant too, eh?"

"How old were you when you saw that one?!"

"Ten."

"Oh, _honestly_," Hermione said, although Ron noticed she was smiling. Her eyes were moving, looking at the night sky with the concentration she used at school. "Oh!" she said softly.

"Found one?" She nodded slowly. "Well, the crazy thing is that you find constellations that resemble what you're thinking. I found Bear when I was lying out here hugging Bear. I found the other one when I was really mad at Fred. Okay, show me what you found."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "You said it's what you're thinking about."

"Well, yeah. Show me your constellation."

Hermione nodded and started tracing the stars with her finger. Her finger outlined the shape of a feather. "A quill!," she said, smiling.

Ron propped himself up on one elbow, allowing him to gaze down at her. She returned his stare, still smiling, although her cheeks were pink. "I think we all know what that means."

Hermione blinked up at him in confusion. "And what would that be?"

Ron grinned and said, "Well, you want to buy me a big box of Sugar Quills!"

She lifted herself up while rolling her eyes, then shoved him lightly. "Right. Trust you to think of candy all the time." Then she was silent, a smile still playing on her face.

Ron looked at her for a moment, then looked back up at the sky and said, "I really like stars."

Hermione bit her lip and glanced at him. "Yeah...me too..."

**END POV**

"Get your lazy arse out of bed, we're going swimming!"

Harry opened his eyes groggily. Without his glasses he saw a pale round thing topped off with fiery red slamming a pillow on his head. He smiled and put on his spectacles. His freckled best friend was grinning at him, still in his pajamas. "C'mon, it's like a thousand degrees outside all of a sudden, I told Hermione and Ginny we should go swimming."

"Swimming? Don't tell me we all fit in that little lake in your backyard."

"'Course we do! Now, come _on_!"

"I didn't bring my swimming trunks."

"Oh, for the love of all that is sugar! Just go into Fred and George's room and find something there, mate. They won't mind if you borrow something from them. In fact, I bet they'd be honored." Ron bowed mockingly.

Harry laughed. "Well, you're in a good mood this morning."

"Uh-huh. Now shut the door on your way out, Harry, I'm gonna change."

"Sure." Harry walked out of the room, shutting the door lightly so that it was left open a crack.

Ron pulled off his pajama shirt. "Too bloody hot," he muttered as he threw the shirt on his messy bed. "Damn, what the hell do I do in my sleep, wrestle a bear?" Remembering about telling Hermione about Bear the night before, he laughed.

Suddenly someone burst into the room. "Ron, Ginny says that we'll mee--"Hermione had stopped abruptly, her mouth slightly open, her cheeks flushing. Ron had whipped around at the sound of her voice and his ears started to burn as he realized she had walked in on him changing.

"Oh, I'm sorry...I--I saw the door was open a crack and I, um, thought it was okay to--to come in and..." Her voice trailed of. Her mouth kept moving soundlessly. Ron nodded and turned around, his back facing her. "Erm, okay, well, Ginny and I will meet you down there. Sorry." Hermione turned and flew out of the room.

Ron let out a slow whistle. Dammit. Why did he let her do this to him?

Shrieks of laughter came from the lake at the back of the Weasleys' backyard. Harry and Ron grinned at each other as they approached. Hermione and Ginny were both sitting at the edge of the lake with their feet in the water. Ginny looked up when she saw the boys approaching.

"Hey, I don't remember this outing being for funny looking fellers like you!" she joked, splashing a bit of water on them. She noticed Ron and Hermione looking offhandedly at each other occasionally. She looked at Harry and they both rolled their eyes. "C'mon, Ron!" she said. She stood up and pounced on her brother, sending them both flying into the lake. Ron's head emerged a second after Ginny's, and he glared at her. "Very funny," he uttered.

"Yes, I thought it was simply hilarious!" Hermione said. Ron threw water at in her face and, shaking it out of her eyes, she kicked some at him. Ginny turned away from them and looked at Harry. "C'mon," she said. Harry gave her a tiny smile and he lowered himself into the water. Ginny couldn't help but notice how distant he seemed; she couldn't blame him. They were all in high spirits while he really couldn't join them. She gave him a sympathetic smile and swam over next to him to watch Ron and Hermione shriek and throw water at each other.

"Ron, you git!!" Hermione screamed. "I've got water up my nose! And my clothes are all wet!"

"Mission completed!" Ron sniggered. "It's your fault for staying out of the water." Hermione rubbed her nose and kicked some more water in his face. Ron grinned and said, "Okay, if I show off for you, will you stop pouting?" Hermione opened her mouth. "Don't tell me you're not pouting 'cause you are. So, wanna see a trick to make you feel better?"

Ginny shook her head. All Ron wanted was her attention and, not surprisingly, he was achieving just that.

"Fine, don't answer, I'll just show you, being the sweet, caring friend that I am," he said. He swam over to Ginny. "Hello, Ginevra, how are you on this fine day?" Ginny raised an eyebrow and said, "Go suck a salmon, Weasley." Harry and Hermione sniggered. "Aww, come on, Gin, play along, to make dear Hermy feel better!" He turned to Hermione. "Watch and be amazed, Miss Granger." He turned back to Ginny and said, "Now, my dear sister Ginevra has agreed to be my special assistant."

"I never said I--"

"Watch while I pick her up effortlessly!"

"Ron, that's crap. Anyone can pick up anyone in the water."

"Hush now, Ginevra. My 'magic' is most certainly not crap." With that said, he put an arm around Ginny's waist, put his other arm under her knees, and lifted her easily.

"Oh, Merlin...PUT ME DOWN, YOU GIT!" Ginny shrieked. "NOW!! I MEAN IT RON, LET ME _GO!!_" Ginny certainly had inherited Mrs. Weasley's ability to scream bloody murder. Ron laughed and put her down with a loud splash. "Jackass!" she said, punching him on the shoulder.

Harry shook his head. "Ron, you _are _a jackass. That's so easy, look." And he picked up Ginny in the same manner Ron had. This time, however, she seemed too startled to speak. She wanted to tell him to put him down so it wouldn't seem suspicious, but she was marveling at how much she liked him holding her like this. She was expecting Ron to start telling Harry off and swearing at him any second.

But he was too busy grinning slyly at Hermione. He said, "I'm the Weasley Quick Picker-Upper!" Hermione's eyes widened as she stood up, scrambling away from the lake. "NO, Ron, you are not getting me any more wet!"

Ron laughed. "Come _on_, it's so hot out here!"

She shook her head nervously. "No, no more."

Ron raised his eyebrows. "Oh, really?" She nodded seriously, although there was a small smile on her face. Ron shrugged and got out of the pool, then ran at her and gave her a very wet hug. She shrieked as Harry and Ginny laughed and Ron spun her around once. When he let go, she ran to the other side of the lake, away from him and shook her head at him, laughing.

"You just don't do what I say, do you?" she said, lifting the bottom of her dripping tank top lightly and glaring at him.

"Nope! It's just another day with the Weasleys!" he said, laughing and throwing himself into the water, wetting her even more.

A/n: Yay, another chapter done! :::does happy chicken jig::: please review!!


	3. Just Plain Ron

A/n: Yay, I got great feedback for the last chapter...thanx, guys...I'd really like to thank Night Zephyr...it was soooo awesome to here from you! Well, I really like this chapter...jealousy from our favorite couple is great, isn't it? Enjoy...

Disclaimer: They all belong to the brilliant genius who started this all...

Chapter 3: Just Plain Ron 

"Where's Harry?" Hermione asked, her nose buried in _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 6_. "I haven't seen him since breakfast."

Ron shrugged. "He's been a bit quiet ever since...well, you know what he did last night." Ron shifted in his seat. He had never seen Harry cry...much less into his and Hermione's shoulders. It had been quite frightening, to be frank. His brain had gone more numb than it had ever been. He doubted very much that patting his back while he sobbed was much help, but that's what he had done at the time. He knew Harry had pent-up feeling, emotions that hadn't been resolved through the years, but he hadn't expected to see his best friend seeking shelter from turmoil in them. I mean, he was Ron. Advice wasn't at all his forte.

Ron glanced up at Hermione. She was gazing at him, her lips slightly parted. It was as if she understood what he was thinking—and feeling, which was extremely unnerving. She knew him too well...oh, Merlin, if only her eyes weren't so round and brown and bright...He looked away. Here he was, sixteen years old and still unable to look his other best friend in the eye. His very pretty best friend.

Well, truly, Hermione wasn't gorgeous. Not when you first looked at her. She looked somewhat plain at first sight; short, with rather big hair, and staggering under the weight of at least 8 books more often than not. But when you got to know her like Ron did...well, he really did not mind being her best friend. He knew that when the right amount of light hit her eyes flecks of gold were visible around the pupil. He knew that whenever she looked up from her tedious working, her long eyelashes fluttered irresistibly. He knew that he loved seeing her bite her lower lip. He knew that her cheeks flushed whenever she was frustrated or embarrassed. He knew that she had the most gorgeous smile ever. All these things were enough to make him overlook her diminutive size, towering hair, and obsession with work. Actually, he not at all minded those qualities in her either. The fact that she was so short was great, in his eyes, because she had to look up at him and he could gaze down into the pools of brown that were her eyes. He had grown fond of her hair because it represented that she was not selfish, superficial, and arrogant. She didn't fuss about how she looked; she just let her hair be. And the books...they were an excuse for him to help her with something.

No, there wasn't any aspect of Hermione Granger that he didn't like. Which was horrible.

Who in Merlin's name fancied their best friend? Especially when she deserved the world, not some poor guy she happened to choose as her buddy. Ron shook his head. He had to stop thinking about Hermione like that. It was just lack of spending time with other girls that had made him start thinking about her like this. Yeah, lack of female company. This would all end the minute he set foot in Hogwarts again, a place full of _other girls_.

"Ron, what is wrong with you?" Hermione said, biting back a grin. "You've been sitting there staring into the abyss for like 10 minutes! Are you going to get that Charms essay done or not?"

"Eh?"

Hermione's scoff turned into a laugh. She leaned back, grabbed a pillow from behind her, and whacked Ron on the head with it. "Maybe that rattled your brains to get you concentrating again?"

"What brains?"

Hermione gave him a don't-start-that-rubbish-with-me look. "Ron, you are not stupid. You wait and see, I'm sure you did well on your owls."

Ron snorted. "You have too much faith in me Hermione." She gave him a withering look. "It's not a bad thing, don't get me wrong...it's just that there's no way in hell I'm going to get more than 2 O.W.L.s. I mean, look at Fred and George! They're so much smarter than me and they got 3 O.W.L.s so the chance that I get—"Ron couldn't continue. Hermione had clapped her hand over his mouth. He couldn't help but notice she had placed her other hand on the nape of his neck to prevent him from backing away. She grinned.

"You know, sometimes I think you Weasleys, _especially _you, should come with a remote. Seriously. Look, I could use volume adjustment on you every day! When you're bellowing at me, I could lower your volume. When you speak in class, I would raise your volume so you would sound more confident. When you are being stubborn, I could just make you stop. And at times like these, when you're ranting and raving, I can click mute."

Ron looked at her for a minute. She was barking. Right about now he feared for her mentality. But then...he grabbed her hands and burst out laughing. When his laughter subsided, he held her hands tighter and said, "You know I could say the exact same thing about you?" Hermione raised an eyebrow in pretend skepticism. "Yeah," Ron continued, nodding. "When _you're _screaming bloody murder at me, I would just jump to putting you on mute instead of wasting time lowering your volume." Hermione opened her mouth to retort but Ron kept speaking. "When you're giving me lectures, I would just fast forward to the end of your lecture. And when you compliment me," he gave her a sly grin, "I would rewind it to hear it over and over again."

"Yeah, to inflate your overlarge ego!"

"Aww, come on, Hermione, you don't wanna hurt my feelings, do you? Your poor ickle best friend..." He blinked at her in a way he had done many times before; he knew this made her blush like mad and look away. Sure enough, a pink tinge started to make its way up her cheeks and she looked away. She was motionless for a second and then she tried tugging her hands out of his grasp. She glared at him. "Let me go," she said. Ron grinned.

"Why so angry, Hermy?"

Her eyes widened. "Don't you _dare _call me that!"

"Heh. Okay, Hermy."

"Do you have a death wish?!"

Ron's grin widened. "No. Why, would you really kill me?"

Hermione was trying not to smile. "Don't make me find out."

Ron laughed. "It would be like a fun experiment, Hermy!"

She let the smile escape. "You are DEAD, Ronald Weasley." Without hesitating, she pounced on him, throwing him on his back. He kept laughing as she playfully glared down at him, her hair falling around her face. "What are you gonna do, Hermy? Strangle me with your hair?" he asked.

"No, I was thinking of suffocation," she said, playing along. "What can I use for that?"

Ron knew one thing he would _like _her to use to "suffocate" him...but that was not about to happen was it?

Before Hermione found a proper way to kill her best friend, two owls flew side by side into the room. One was an odd color—something between auburn and red—and the other was brown. They seemed fond of each other because the auburn one kept ruffling his feathers and the brown one was hooting cheerfully. Hermione glanced at Ron, jumped off of him, and headed to his bedroom window, where the owls stood. Ron was standing up when she emitted a sound that sounded like a shriek and a squeal mixed together. When she turned around, she had her hands over her eyes. She didn't have to tell him what letters the owls had brought were. He knew.

O.W.L. results.

Ron walked over to her. He took her hands away from her eyes. "Don't worry," he said softly. "Damn, Hermione, you _know _you must have gotten a perfect score..._I'm _the one who should be worried for his future, you'll see. Now come on. Let's take these results." Hermione bit her lip and nodded.

Ron looked at the owls. "Hard to guess which one is mine, huh?" The auburn owl was looking up at Ron curiously. Hermione gave a shaky laugh and reached out to untie the letter attached to the brown owl's leg. Ron did the same, ogling at the auburn owl. The letter said:

_Dear Mr. Ronald Weasley,_

_Enclosed in this envelope are the results of the Ordinary Wizarding Levels (O.W.L.s), the examinations taken this past June. The examinations are graded with the following marks: O (Outstanding), E (Exceeds Expectations), A (Acceptable), P (Poor), D (Dreadful,) and T (Troll). _

There was another paper in the envelope. Ron braced himself as she took it out slowly.

_Your O.W.L. examination results are as follows:_

_Astronomy: Exceeds Expectations_

_Care of Magical Creatures: Outstanding_

_Charms: Exceeds Expectations_

_Defense Against the Dark Arts: Outstanding_

_Divination: Dreadful_

_Herbology: Outstanding_

_History of Magic: Poor _

_Potions: Exceeds Expectations_

_Transfiguration: Exceeds Expectations_

_Congratulations on achieving 7 O.W.L.s. We are pleased to tell you that this is certainly above average work, Mr. Weasley! _

Ron had achieved 7 O.W.L.s! He had failed History of Magic with a P—that was no surprise, since he rarely ever paid attention to Binn's class and couldn't concentrate on the notes he borrowed from Hermione—and Divination with a D, and who could blame him with that old bat for a teacher. This was one of the times he actually felt his heart swell with pride for himself. 7 O.W.L.s! This had to be some joke. He couldn't possibly achieve _7 O.W.L.s!_

He looked up at Hermione. She was staring at her paper in disbelief. Ron grinned. "Can I see?" he asked tentatively, although he already knew what her results were. Hermione merely nodded, her mouth hanging open, and passed the paper to Ron. With one glance at it, his assumptions were confirmed.

10 O.W.L.s.

She was so bloody amazing. 10 O.W.L.s was some feat. She could do whatever she wanted for the next two years at Hogwarts. She had done it. All this time, she had been working and striving for this, and she had accomplished it. She was brilliant.

Ron looked up at her. She was staring at his results in disbelief. Then she met his eyes and beamed. "Seven, Ron! SEVEN!" Ron nodded.

"Well, that's nothing compared to yours...ten! That just goes to show how fantastic you are and...er...yeah..." Ron realized the impact his words could have—a second after he said it.

Hermione's smiled widened. She suddenly gave a very high-pitched squeal that was very unlike her. She lunged forward at Ron, wrapping him in a very tight embrace. The force of her hug knocked Ron over and they both landed with a thud on the floor. He felt Hermione's laughter next to his ear as she lay on top of him. Despite the surge of embarrassment pounding through him, he joined her in their laughter. A minute later, she let go of him and pushed herself up off him, still laughing. Ron prayed that his face was not as flushed as hers was. Hermione tucked miscellaneous strands of hair behind her ear and gave Ron a huge smile. Then she picked up her results parchment from the floor, turned, and bounded out the door.

Ron sat up, rubbing the back of his head where it had hit the floor absentmindedly. He was reveling in the feeling of having Hermione lying on top of him, her arms around his neck and laughing with him. He had loved it. Despite the odd churning of his stomach and the steam that was surely issuing from his red ears, it had been one rather pleasant experience.

Standing, he traced Hermione's steps out the door. He couldn't wait to see what Harry had gotten.

**END POV**

Was there nothing they could do for him? Ginny's brown eyes flashed up from the pages of her book. She was unaware of what book she was reading and she had no idea even if she'd gotten past the one sentence. She had been glancing up at Harry, sitting across from her in the living room, every now and then. He was so distant. He had barely moved all day. When an owl had flown in with his O.W.L. results, he had looked down at the parchment quickly, smiled a little, and tossed it aside. He hadn't even said a word.

It was really frustrating, this situation. She was his friend. Granted, not his _best _friend, but his friend nonetheless, and she cared about him. But to Ginny it seemed that Harry was refusing to receive the love and attention of others lately. He hadn't spoken to Ron and Hermione, and Ginny knew it must have something to do with his breakdown the night before, which Hermione had told her about. She knew why he had been avoiding them. She didn't know _how _she knew, but she knew all right.

He didn't want them to be harmed.

She could see it in the way he was acting that he was blaming himself. He probably thought that Sirius's death was all his fault, that he could have somehow done something to stop it from happening. Now he had his godfather's demise heavy upon him, on top of feeling guilty about his parents and Cedric. Why he blamed himself she did not know but she knew nothing any of them said or did would convince him that he was not to blame. His eyes had lost a sparkle they had had, and it was impossible to deny that Harry was no longer a child. Harry Potter was growing into a very fine young man. If only he stopped berating himself.

She was sure that he didn't want any of them in danger, especially not Ron and Hermione. Ginny was like a sister to him, but Ron and Hermione's connection with him was so much more. She herself couldn't understand it and often found herself feeling jealous that they could be so different yet so close. So it was no surprise that Harry didn't want them injured, physically or emotionally, like he had been. And still was.

She wanted to make him understand that whatever happened would happen and there was nothing they could do to change it. She wanted him to know that if Ron and Hermione were hurt during this war it wouldn't be his fault. She wanted him to see that they loved him and would give his life for him, something she herself would do as well. But she knew if she tried bringing all this up, he would think her a silly little girl for trying to understand the enormity of matters like these. He wouldn't say it to her face, he was too polite for that, but he would definitely think it.

For some reason, Harry looked over at her. She smiled, since the book she was holding concealed every part of her face except her forehead and eyes. This reminded her of when she was younger, so taken with Harry. She had to suppress a giggle at the thought of what her eleven-year-old self would say or do if Harry Potter looked at her in the eyes. Present day fifteen-year-old Ginny didn't break eye contact with him too soon. She didn't blush or squirm uncomfortably. She did feel an odd churn in her stomach, though, but she ignored it.

After minute of staring at each other, Ginny sighed and set her book down on her lap. She looked back up at Harry and gave him a small smile. "How were your exam results?" she asked.

Harry kept looking at her with hollow eyes. "How come you didn't ask before?" he asked in a monotonous tone his voice had taken lately.

Ginny chuckled. "It doesn't matter, does it? I'm asking now." She couldn't stand to see him like this. She imagined the gaping whole in his heart where Sirius had been and felt a pang of pain herself. She blinked and looked away. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to..."

The statement had meaning on different levels. On one, she could simply be talking about the O.W.L. results. On the other, she meant his feelings and the emptiness she knew must be devouring him. Or the guilt.

Or both.

Harry seemed to catch the clever meanings of the statement and Ginny caught a flicker of some light in his eyes before they went back to their lifeless state. They were gazing at each other again when they heard pounding footsteps on the stairs. She quickly looked away and picked up her book.

"SEVEN!" came Ron's gleeful voice. Ginny grinned behind her book. Her brother was a smart guy, even if at times he horribly contradicted it. "Isn't that great, Gin? Seven O.W.L.s!" He ran over to her pulled her to a standing position. "And Hermione got TEN!" He hugged his sister and turned as Hermione bounded down the stairs. She was wearing a huge smile but when she glanced down and caught Harry staring lifelessly at the triumphant scene unfolding before him, she looked at Ron and bit her lip. Ginny could tell, although she could not see his face, that Ron's smile had vanished.

Ron sat down next to Harry, who barely acknowledged his movement by glancing at him out of the corner of his eyes. "So, mate...er, did you get your O.W.L. results?" he asked tentatively.

"Of course I did. You two got them so naturally I would too," Harry said, rather snappishly. Ginny bit her tongue to prevent herself from saying anything that would start a row with Harry.

"Yeah...yeah. So, er, what did you get?" Ron asked, looking up at Hermione, clearly saying, "Help me!" Hermione's eyes were wide as she looked from Ron to Harry. Harry was now scowling slightly, looking as if he wished he could be alone. He shoved his parchment into Ron's hand. The red head again looked up at Hermione. She gave him a for-heaven's-sake-just-look-at-it look. Ron scanned the parchment quickly and gave Harry a small clap on the back. "Six is great, mate!"

As Hermione took the parchment from Ron's hand to examine the results for herself, Harry muttered, "Yeah, well, don't act like you're not happy that you beat me at this. Prefect _and _O.W.L.s, you're ego must be full to the brim, Ron." Ginny closed her eyes, praying to Merlin that she would have enough patience to prevent herself from making Harry understand that they cared and he should _let _them care. Hermione had looked up from the parchment and was staring at Ron. Ginny knew she must have expected him to look angry, because she herself had expected the same.

But Ron looked hurt. He looked like he could scarcely breathe. He looked at Harry for a long time, Harry avoiding his gaze all the while. When Ron finally spoke, it was in a cold voice. "I'm better than you at another thing, Harry. Know what it is? It's actually being a _friend_!" With that, Ron stood and ran up the stairs.

Hermione laid the parchment on the table before Harry. She sighed, one hand rubbing her temple. She shook her head and said, "Please try to understand. We can't make him come back. We can't take away all your pain and anger, no matter how much we wish we could. But we can care about you. Why don't you let us? It's like you'd rather have us not love you. I used to think I could understand you fairly well, Harry, but right now, I don't know what to think." Harry was staring at the parchment, not looking up at her or Ginny. Hermione laid a hand on his shoulder, "You're my best friend, and I'd do anything for you. I don't care if you find me annoying or bossy or nagging, and I don't care if you wish you could make me disappear sometimes. All I ask you is not to exclude us from your life, Harry, because I can't deal with that." Hermione bit her lip and walked towards the stairs. "I'll see you later, Gin," she murmured.

Ginny nodded and looked back at Harry. He had the parchment in his fist. Suddenly he slammed it down on the table, crumpled and torn. "Why do they put up with me? They all just end up dead. I don't deserve them. Why do they stay?" he said softly.

She could think of no words to answer his question. Maybe it was because it was impossible to answer, or maybe because there really were too many words to use as a response. She did the only plausible thing that came to mind. She dropped her book on the couch and walked over to Harry. She knelt before him, looked into his eyes, and said, "Because we want to stay." And she hugged him.

**END POV**

Sunlight flooded Ron's vision as he awoke the next day. He rubbed his eyes and did what he had done every morning for the past week; he looked over at Harry's bed. Empty. Why did he wake so early? What the hell did that boy do?

They hadn't spoken since the day before in the living room. Ron had spent the rest of the day locked up in his room. He only talked to Hermione once. She had tried to pry him out of there, but he said he had to finish his Charms essay and that he would see her tomorrow.

He had been upset by Harry's words, although he didn't know exactly what was it that made them so unbearable. It was natural that Harry be angry that he, Ron Weasley, #1 No-Talent Nobody, was better at him in more than one area. Of course he should be irritated. He was Harry Potter, for Merlin's sake. He wasn't used to standing in second place to a poor git like him.

Ron got dressed and proceeded downstairs, guided by the smell of bacon. Halfway down the stairs, when he was passing Ginny's room, the door opened and Hermione peeked out. Her hair was tied in a ponytail and she had already changed into day clothes. She smiled and said, "Good morning."

"Hey," he answered sleepily. She giggled a little at his groggy response, and stepped out onto the narrow staircase, shutting the door carefully behind her. "Let's get so-o-o-ome breakfast," Ron said through a wide yawn. Hermione's smile widened and she nodded.

Upon entering the kitchen they noticed they had visitors. If Hermione hadn't been standing right behind him and there had not been the chance of knocking into her, he would have turned around, raced up the stairs, and spent the rest of the day locked in his room yet again.

Bloody hell.

Ron hitched a strained grin on his face. "Hi, Bill," he said in a voice much squeakier than his normal voice. "And..."

"Oh, zis is Harry's friend, Ronald is it?" Fleur Delacour flashed him a flawless smile. "Zis is a pleasure!" She tossed her blond hair over one shoulder. Ron noticed large hoop earrings hanging from her ears. She had the bluest eyes he had ever seen. Her perfect neck was adorned with a necklace ending with a sapphire in the shape of a tear. He had forgotten how gorgeous she was.

"Ah...whaa? Oh, yes, yes, nice to see you again, Fleur," he said clumsily. He chanced a glance at Hermione, who had come to stand next to him. She was wearing a sour smile on her face and was looking at Fleur with a look of intense dislike covered by fake delight.

"And is zis your...?" Fleur asked, winking at Ron. His knees felt like a pair of Canary Creams.

Hermione stepped forward. "I'm Hermione Granger. You'll remember me, I went with Viktor Krum to the Yule Ball." Ron's blank mind momentarily lapsed into a furious state before going blank again. Hermione shook Fleur's hand as Fleur giggled cheerfully.

"Oh, yes, 'e is such a nice boy...'e spoke about you often," Fleur said, grinning at Hermione, who was blushing slightly. She gave Fleur another quick fake smile.

"Bill, it's great to see you again!" she said, now turning to Ron's older brother. Bill grinned and gave Hermione a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. Again, Ron's attention was turned away from the beautiful veela to his best friend.

"Ooh, my my my, you know her, Billy?" Fleur said with interest.

"Yeah, she's been my brother's, er, _best friend _since they were eleven," Bill replied, giving Ron a sly look that made his ears turn pink. Why'd he have to pause? Now Bill would give Hermione the idea that he thought of her as more than that. Well, it wasn't an idea, since it certainly was true, but he did not need Hermione going around suspecting that.

Hermione opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again to say, "Yes, I've known and argued with Ron for a while now." She glanced back at him and then looked back at Fleur. "I know him better than most people do." Bill roared with laughter, Fleur looked confused, and when Hermione returned to his side, Ron saw she looked smug.

What was she trying to do? Better yet, what the hell was she _on_? So what if she knew him like the back of her hand? Fleur was going to think he was a silly little boy with a hopeless crush on his best friend. His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed Hermione standing a little closer to him than before, practically like both their shoulders were Spellotaped together. She was avoiding his eyes and looked determined to look nonplussed.

"BIIIILL!!!" came a high squeal from the door of the kitchen. Ginny was a blur as she flew in and threw herself on Bill, hugging him tightly. "Ooh, I missed you soooo much!" She glanced at Fleur and smirked, making her resemblance to Fred and George uncanny. "And, look, you brought a...let's say friend..." Fleur giggled girlishly and Ron saw her slip her hand into Bill's. However, he was still more interested in how close Hermione was standing to him.

"Yes, friends, almost exactly like Ron and Hermione," Bill said, obviously fighting the urge to laugh. Ginny looked around at Ron and Hermione. She apparently noticed how close Hermione was standing to him because she smirked again and turned back to Bill.

Ron didn't hear what she was saying. They were all in this Weasley conspiracy against him. All of them. Trying to do him in. They wanted to point out that he really _was_ falling for his best friend, _Hermione Granger _of all people, and they wanted to bug the shit out of him. My, wasn't he the popular one.

"Where's Mum?" Ginny was asking.

"She went out to de-gnome the garden. She didn't know I was bringing Fleur," Bill said; Fleur beamed.

"Zat is no problem, really! Your muzzer is such a nice lady, Billy," Fleur said. Ginny bit her lip, obviously to keep from laughing at Fleur's pet name for Bill.

"Yes, she certainly is...well, I think we'll come back down later for breakfast, we're not really hungry right now, are we, Ron?" Hermione said, grabbing his arm behind his back. Ron saw Bill and Ginny exchange knowing looks and he narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah, okay, let's come back _later_," Ron said. He turned, broke free of Hermione's grasp, and walked out to the backyard. He heard Hermione walking behind him.

"You might wanna wipe the drool falling from the corner of your mouth, Ron," she said sarcastically once they were out of hearing range. Ron turned around, making her almost knock into him, and glared at her.

"Shove off, Hermione," he said.

She glared back at him. "You know, I don't understand you!"

"Oh, REALLY? Didn't I just hear you tell Fleur that you knew me better than most people?"

Hermione looked like she couldn't come up with a nasty retort, but a few seconds later she said, "Well, I'm surprised you tore your eyes off her long enough to pay attention to anything else going on around you."

"Don't talk to me like that!"

"Oh, please, Ron! Don't deny that you would spend the day walking after her, drooling in her wake!"

"What the hell am I, a dog?"

"No, you're just insufferable!"

"I'M insufferable?! When all YOU do is talk about that Bulgarian git! Nice of you to show off in front of Fleur like that."

Hermione smirked at him. "Oh, don't give me that rubbish. You know perfectly well that Viktor is just my friend."

"Then why'd you mention the _Yule Ball _specifically? And why did you blush when she said he talked about you?"

"I—"

"You're not backing out of this one!"

"You know what?! You're just a jealous prat! You're so infuriated that it's Bill that got the veela, not you! A Weasley certainly got her, but it wasn't you, and that just makes you soo mad, doesn't it?!"

Ron looked taken aback at her insult. His eyes widened, but soon enough, they were narrow slits again. "Yeah, go ahead, think what you want! This is great, just what I need! Harry finally realizing I'm worth a pile of dragon droppings as a friend and you thinking I'm some stupid little boy with a crush! Just-just leave me alone, Hermione!"

Hermione's mouth had fallen open when he had mentioned Harry. She bit her lip and said, "Ron, I—I didn't mean—"

"Leave me ALONE, Hermione!!"

Hermione nodded. "All right, Ron. Whatever you want." She turned and walked away from him, back into the house.

"I don't wanna HEAR from you today anymore, Hermione!" he yelled at her retreating back. "Go—go and snog the shit out of Krum for all I care! I don't need you OR Harry!"

Ron threw himself down on the ground. He knew Hermione must have heard him but he didn't want to turn around to check if she was looking at him. It was true that Harry had finally woken up and realized what a useless and pathetic friend he had. He probably didn't even _want _him as a friend anymore. Whatever. He didn't care. And Hermione—he should just forget about her. She was never going to like someone like him. Maybe she and Harry had agreed to open their eyes and see they could do better than him.

Who had he been kidding? He had always been just plain Ron.

A/n: So?? Leave feedback please!


	4. In My Dreams

A/n: This chapter builds up for something important that'll come up later in this fic so, naturally, this chapter is important. Thank you all for reviewing and, well, enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: I own this franchise as much as I own the Simpsons franchise. Yes, sadly I own neither.

**Chapter Four: In My Dreams**

_What the hell are you doing, Weasley? Are you just gonna sit here? _Ron ripped a piece of grass forcefully out, a scowl on his lips. Yes, he was very much inclined to just sit here and ignore her, no, _both _of them. Well, in all honesty, Harry hadn't done anything wrong, he just was finally realizing that he really had no business having friends like him. And Hermione...well, she was just being Hermione.

Which, of course, he didn't _mind_, but that in itself bothered him.

He wrenched another blade of grass out from the ground. This wasn't fair. He hadn't done anything wrong. Hermione was probably doing this on purpose; she might actually be trying to make him angry.

_You **know **that's not true. _It was remarkable, really, how much that voice in his head reminded him of Hermione sometimes. He felt a smile tugging at his lips and he sighed. So this was it. He was resigning to himself. He would—this was even scary to think about—apologize. He shuddered. It really was frightening, him apologizing. To Hermione, of all people. They weren't the kind who apologized. They just had this sort of silent agreement. They always seemed to end a row without the words "I'm sorry" taking part in the conversation. But maybe he should change that.

Because other things had certainly changed.

He was beginning to think that Hermione might actually like him back, crazy as that could be. After all the time they had spent alone the last year, it was pretty much inevitable. She was so playful sometimes. He loved it. That's why he really enjoyed being a prefect; it gave him an excuse to spend time alone with her. And he could have kissed his mother when she told him he would be spending time with Hermione at Grimmauld Place last year. Only Hermione. He didn't have to baby-sit Ginny—who really wasn't so little anymore—or subject himself to the twins' pranks. He had to be around Hermione. Despite the fact that he knew a Dark wizard was seeking to kill his best friend, he couldn't help savoring every moment he spent with Hermione in that house. He loved how she looked put out every time Sirius had insulted Kreacher. He remembered catching himself watching her while she used some clever spell to get rid of a pest. He felt his ears grow red as he recalled Hermione looking back, seeing him staring at her, and giving him a tiny smile. That had to mean something good...

...right?

Ron buried his head in his hands. He could do this. He was sixteen years old, for the love of Merlin! It was about time the two of them surpassed the blushing state. He threw down the blades of grass he had been holding and stood up. He turned to face his house and took a deep breath. The odd churn his stomach gave did not console him.

Resolutely, he walked back to the house. When he entered the kitchen, he avoided looking at Fleur, and was somewhat dismayed that all her attention was on the fussing Mrs. Weasley. He shook his head. He was starting to believe his attraction for Fleur had just been a reaction to her Veela blood; he was rather sensitive when it came to Veelas. He was surprised to find himself in front of Ginny's room, his hand just about to knock on the wooden door. How had his feet carried him here this fast? With a sinking feeling he realized he was not ready to apologize.

_Slam! _The sound from inside the room made him jump slightly. After the many rows he had had with Hermione, he recognized that sound. Book on wood. _Oh, shit, she must be really pissed. _He grinned a little. The only temper that could match Hermione's was his own. He took a deep breath and knocked.

"Go away, Ron."

He gaped at the door, his mouth dropping open. How had she known it was him? Maybe be was right...maybe she _did _know him better than most people. He licked his lips and said, "Hermione, just let me in."

"No!"

"You are acting like you're three."

No answer. Great. He had succeeded in pissing her off even more.

"Hermione!" With an exasperated roll of his eyes, he turned the doorknob fiercely and to his surprise the door gave way. He entered the room and looked from the door to Hermione. He understood. She expected that the last thing he would try would be to open the door.

"One step ahead of you, Hermione." He grinned at her. Her eyes snapped onto him, narrowed and glaring. His smile widened. He loved seeing her mad. Her lips became all pursed and pouty. She rolled her eyes and walked over to Ginny's bedroom window.

"_What_ is so funny?" she snapped under her breath.

"Look, I'm—"oh, he was actually gonna say it...he saw Hermione turn with disbelief etched across her face. "I'm sorry, okay?" He threw his hands up. "If you know me so well, you must know that—"

"It must have taken every fiber of determination you have in you to apologize to me, of all people," she finished for him, very obviously biting back a smile.

"Yeah." With a surge of momentary bravery, Ron walked over to her. Now she was avoiding his gaze. "Um...I didn't mean to bring up Krum. I..."

Hermione shook her head and finally looked up at him. "Ron, I just want you to understand something. Something really important. I have no feelings whatsoever for Viktor. I'm not attracted to him in any way like you seem to think. He's a really nice guy and all but...but the place he vies for is already occupied. Does that make any sense?"

Ron was slightly aware that his mouth was hanging open. He wasn't sure whether it was because she had just said that Krum meant nothing to her or because she had admitted to actually liking someone. Not that it meant she liked _him_, but there was a chance that it might. Ron gulped and said, "Er, yeah, okay, I understand. I won't bring him up like that." Of course, he thought that maybe by now she would have figured out that the reason he accused her of liking Krum was because he was jealous of the attention she had given him. So it was only a matter of time till she realized he, Ron Weasley, fancied her.

Or maybe she already had.

Bloody hell. He had never thought of that. If he—thick as he always was—had figured out that the feelings might be mutual, of course she had too! She was brilliant. She had probably known that he liked her before he himself knew. Suddenly, Ron felt like throwing up. Hermione obviously noticed because she raised an eyebrow.

"Are you feeling alright?" Ron nodded, afraid that if he opened his mouth he would most certainly puke. Hermione was staring at him with wide eyes. "Well, you're looking a bit on the green side..."

Ron shook his head and took a deep breath. "Um, it's nothing..." How could he test to see if she could figure out these things so easily? Muttering incoherently under his breath, the answer finally came to him. Ginny. "Hey...what do you think of Ginny and Dean?"

Hermione bit her lip. "Well, I think it's sweet that Ginny's giving him a chance but...to be frank, I don't think she's very much attracted to him." Ron looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to further explain herself. Hermione blinked rapidly, something he noticed she did whenever she was nervous, and said, "Do you really want me to venture further into this subject? Because I've got musings I'm not sure you would enjoy hearing." When he didn't answer, she sighed and said, "Very well. I think Ginny isn't quite over Harry."

Completely forgetting that she was testing him, Ron bellowed, "WHAT?!?!"

Hermione winced slightly and glared at him. "I told you I didn't want to tell you!"

"What are you smoking, Hermione?"

Hermione looked taken aback. "Ron!"

"Yes?!"

She sighed exasperatedly. "You ALWAYS take things the wrong way! And you make EVERYTHING something to bicker with me about!" She stepped away from him and turned her back on him. "Leave."

"Hermione—"

"NO, Ron! I try to be decent with you but it never works! It's like all you want to do is argue!"

Ron silently chided himself. He had come up here in hopes of ending an argument and instead he had started a new one. _You're a jackass, Weasley. _Ron rubbed his eyes. Hermione was standing very still at the other end of her room, her head down. She was obviously waiting for him to either leave or apologize. Ron chose the latter. He walked toward her and stood directly behind her. He noticed her hands were at her side and she was breathing oddly. Slowly, he took her hand. He heard a sharp intake of breath and felt her body go rigid.

With some of that rare Gryffindor courage, he leaned down and whispered in her ear. "I'm sorry." Hermione shuddered at his close proximity, which made Ron grin. He didn't know he could do that to her. Feeling a little bolder, he lay his chin on her shoulder and said, "Hermione, there are more important things to worry about than how much of a prat I am." He saw her lips twitch. Without turning her head, she glanced down at him.

"Yes, I suppose you're right," she said, in a shaky voice.

He gave her a grin he had learned she found irresistible and said, "Friends?"

Hermione stepped away and turned to face him. She smiled softly and said, "Friends."

**END POV**

"Checkmate."

Harry looked up, stunned. He hadn't played chess with Ginny much, but she had always assumed that she might, well, sort of suck, since Hermione did. He had forgotten that Ginny Weasley was related to the all-time chess champ.

She was smiling at him, her chin in her hands. She sighed and looked out the window. Her smooth red hair fell into her face. Harry found himself staring at her.

Ginny wasn't the little girl he had met on Platform 9 ¾, the child clutching her mother's hand and gazing at him in awe. She was a beautiful young woman. The dim light coming from the lamp on the table lit up her milky skin so every one of her freckles was visible, sprinkled across her nose like little bits of cinnamon. She had small pink lips that she licked whenever she was concentrating, like she had done one moment when he had put her in check earlier. Her hair was so long. Caught in the right light, Harry had noticed that it had flecks of gold in it. It was really thin, yet she had so much of it. She had a nice smile. She showed all her teeth when she smiled, but it wasn't obnoxious like Lockhart's smile had been. And her eyes were deep hazel looking out from under the longest eyelashes he had ever seen.

Since when had he started noticing so much about Ginny? After all, she was his best friend's sister, almost like his own sister...wasn't she?

She reminded him of someone. He wasn't quite sure whom. The long red hair, the pale skin, the freckles...there was something about her reminiscent of someone he had seen before. Whoever she was, she must have been beautiful, because Ginny most certainly was.

Oh, sweet Merlin. He was staring at Ginny. And he liked it.

Ginny looked back at him and looked somewhat startled to see him staring at her. "Is something wrong?"

Harry shook his head and gave a shaky laugh. "No, no, nothing...it's just..." He threw caution to the wind and decided to tell her. "You remind me of someone, Gin. I don't know who, but it's someone I've seen before, and the resemblance between you and her is uncanny."

Ginny watched him with slightly raised eyebrows for a moment. Then she gave him a weak smile and looked down at the table. "Do you have any idea who it could be?" she said softly.

"No," he replied.

He saw her licking her lips and wondered what she was thinking about. She looked up and said, "I'm really glad you decided to play chess with me. I—I was starting to worry about you...being so quiet and all. Not that I blame you but..." Her voice trailed off.

"It's okay, Gin, you and Ron and Hermione are being great. I don't know what I would do without you."

Ginny looked away again. She blinked and said slowly, "Do you think about it often?"

Harry sighed and said, "Yeah. All the time. Unfortunately. It hurts to remember because I know that now that's all I'll be able to do...remember." It was true. He hated remembering everything about Sirius, but he couldn't help it. It caused him so much pain because every time he remembered something he had said or done, he'd be hit with the realization that, apart from the memories he had, Sirius wasn't there. And he'd also understand that the few memories he had were the only ones he would ever have. Because Sirius was gone.

Ginny gave him a look that he couldn't quite place. It wasn't sympathy or pity, which he really appreciated. He was tired of people staring at him with eyes full of pity, tired of people who were surely thinking "Oh, poor little boy." But this look Ginny was giving him...it was different. He noticed her eyes getting red as she bit her lip. After what seemed like a lifetime, she did something simple yet soothing. She grabbed his hand, looked him in the eye, and said, "It's better to remember what little you have of him than not remember at all." He held her gaze for a moment. Then she took her hand away and stood up. "I'm going to bed." She walked towards the stairs. She stood with her foot on the first step for a second, apparently mesmerized by the wood of the banister, before murmuring, "Good-night, Harry."

**END POV**

"_Come on, you can do better than that!" His voice resonated through the vast Death Room. The jet of light flew at him, hitting him on the chest. With half a smile still plastered on his face, his eyes widened. He began to fall, slowly, through the veil. Looking both afraid and surprise, he vanished behind the veil...he did not come back._

"_SIRIUS!" Harry's voiced echoed over and over again in his head, mingled with Bellatrix's victorious scream. Lupin was holding him back. Sirius wasn't emerging from behind the veil. _

"_He can't come back, because he's d—"_

Nooo! Lupin's words stabbed at him, like a knife tearing into his chest, like a hand ripping his heart out. Why wasn't he coming back? Why was he staying behind that damn veil? Sirius...Sirius! SIRIUS!

"_**SIRIUS!" **_

_He wouldn't come back. He was gone. _

"_SHE KILLED SIRIUS! SHE KILLED HIM—I'LL KILL HER!" Her heavy lidded eyes...he hated her! She took Sirius from him. Filthy bitch, she should die! She deserved more than death, more pain than could be caused._

_Sirius..._

_Again his face as he fell...shocked and scared, half laughing, eyes wide, back arched, veil flying, Sirius gone..._

_Then Harry...in a graveyard..._

"_Kill the spare."_

_Cedric falling...dead...on the floor..._

_Voldemort rising from the cauldron...sinister red eyes burned into him...staring hungrily at him..._

_But now...no longer in the graveyard...in a house...a man yelling..."Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off!"...a door bursting open...a flurry of red hair...a baby crying...a woman sobbing...a shrill voice laughing..._

"_Stand aside, you silly girl...stand aside, now..."_

_A baby crying... "Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead---"_

_Laughter, shrill and malevolent...screaming...he could suddenly see through Voldemort's eyes...his mother standing in front of him, clutching him close to her in her arms...her green eyes wide with fear and pleading...tears streaming down her freckled cheeks..._

_Then her eyes turned a deep hazel color...there was no longer a baby in her arms...she looked younger...her facial features changed slightly...a man stood beside her...dark messy hair...glasses...Lily and James?...no...his eyes were green...it was him, Harry..._

"_AVADA KEDAVRA!"_

_A flash of green light...the young woman crumpled...before she fell to the floor, Harry caught her... "Noooo!!" It was him yelling...he turned her over, to look into her face...milky white skin...freckles sprinkled across her nose...long, thin red hair...wide, hazel eyes, staring, horrified..._

_It was Ginny... _

"NOOOO!!!" Harry's eyes snapped open...his breathing was coming in short gasps and he felt tears on his face...he saw Ron stirring in the bed beside him. He sat up.

"Harry?" he said groggily.

Harry held his breath and wiped his tears brusquely. Ron stayed staring at him for a long moment, then lay back down. Harry finally exhaled. His breathing was still quick. He had to get away...get some air...

...check up on Ginny.

He threw the covers off of him, put on his glasses, and raced out of the room, not bothering to close the door behind him. He had to see if Ginny was all right...he would never forgive himself is she wasn't...

So that's who she reminded him of. His mother, Lily. And he looked like James, it was uncanny (except, of course, for his eyes, Lily's eyes). What a strange coincidence...He raced down the stairs until he was in front of Ginny's room. He opened her unlocked bedroom door.

She lay by the window. Her face was pale against the incoming moonlight. At least her eyes weren't wide and horrified...for some reason, he had a sort of desperation to make sure she was okay...

He crossed the room on tiptoe until he reached her bed. He knelt in front of her and shook her shoulder slightly, murmuring, "Ginny..." She kept sleeping. "Ginny," he said again, shaking her a little more forcefully. Her eyes fluttered open. "Whaa...?" Harry's stomach gave an odd lurch. She was fine. She wasn't hurt. When she realized it was him, she jumped a little.

"Ha—Harry...what are you doing here?" she whispered.

Harry took her hand and motioned for her to leave the room with him, pressing a finger to his lips. Ginny let him drag her out of the room, and she closed the door softly behind her.

"What's wrong, Harry? You look pale..."

"Are you okay, Ginny?"

"What?"

"Just tell me. Are you okay? Do you feel all right?"

Ginny obviously noted the urgency in his voice. "Yeah..." she said, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "Harry, wha—"

She couldn't finish her sentence; Harry had thrown his arms around her, hugging her tightly. "Gin, you have no idea how glad that makes me...I was so scared, I woke up crying..."

She hadn't responded to his hug in any way, but slowly she began to rub his back. "Harry, I don't understand. Did you have a nightmare?"

Harry pulled away slightly, enough to be able to look into her face while still having his arms around her. Why wasn't he letting go of her? "I dreamt about—about Sirius, and then about Cedric, and then about the night my parents died...it's just that, when he was about to kill my mum, she turned into you, and he killed _you_...and I woke up with tears on my face and, damn, I was so scared, I thought something had happened to you, and I couldn't bear to think about that...oh, and I figured out that you resemble my mother, you look so much like her...I didn't realize she had turned into you in my dream until you were in my arms and—and you weren't moving and I felt so afraid, I didn't know what to do...so I raced over here, I had to make sure you were okay...I..." His voice trailed off and he took a breath. "I'm not sure what I would have done if something had happened to you..."

Maybe it was the fact that he was groggy, but after spending almost two weeks at the Burrow, he was feeling attracted to Ginny...what was wrong with him???

Ginny was staring at him unblinkingly. "You wanted to make sure I was okay?"

"Yes! I—damn, when I woke up it was like you were still lying rigid in my arms and—and I was frustrated and terrified and desperate to see you alive, breathing...I'm sorry...damn, I'm so sorry..."

He closed his eyes, since a familiar burning sensation was prickling at the edges of his eyes. He felt Ginny put a hand to his cheek. "Don't be...I'm flattered that you thought of me..."

Without thinking, he placed his hand over hers. "Of course I thought of you! If _anything _had happened to you...I don't even want to think about it, Gin, I..." He stopped talking. He felt himself moving forward. What the hell was he doing?! _Potter, what is WRONG with you?!?! _His brain was screaming at him but he was ignoring it. He could only concentrate on Ginny...the way she was staring at him made him feel warm inside, and he had a sudden desire to stay with her here forever...he had to protect her, he couldn't let anything happen to her, he'd rather die than let Voldemort hurt her like he had done before as his sixteen-year-old memory...he had to stay here with her...he _wanted _to stay with her...

Why now? After so much time, now he wanted to be with her...he'd always liked her, he had just never considered _liking _her...but, really, there was nothing wrong with _liking _her...she was smart, brave, caring, funny, beautiful, willing to put herself in danger to help others. He had spent more time with her this year and he had subconsciously _enjoyed _her company...

Oh, Merlin's bear. He liked Ginny Weasley. His best friend's sister.

_I like Ginny Weasley._

That one thought flashed in his mind...a second before he pressed his lips against hers.

Holy crap! What the hell was he doing? _Nothing wrong_. Well, no, not really...it's not like it was _prohibited_, he wasn't NOT allowed to like Ginny, to...kiss her! He had every right to if he so desired. And it wasn't half bad, actually.

The panic and sorrow that had coursed through him was being melted away with a warm feeling in the pit of his stomach. All he could focus on was being here, in the middle of the night, kissing Ginny Weasley, his hand over hers, her hand still touching his cheek lightly. It was so sweet, so innocent, he could have sworn he was still twelve years old and she eleven. Just his lips touching hers. Nothing more. Well, except the exceptional warmth shooting through every part of his body.

Slowly, they parted. Ginny opened her eyes and stared at him, her mouth slightly open. She took her hand away from his face and touched her lips. He imagined they were still warm, because his were. Her eyes darted around, staring all over his face. Then she gave a small gasp and turned around. "Good-night, Harry," she murmured, facing the door.

Harry licked his lips. Yes, still warm. "Good-night, Ginny," he whispered back, before walking up the stairs.

As he climbed back into bed, he couldn't help thinking...

_Yet another one I'm putting in danger..._

A/n: Going crazy here! Review please!!!


	5. Ron's Wrath

A/n: Great feedback, thank you so much!! I kind of don't like this chapter, and I think it's because I'm so anxious to get to the more, er, juicy chapters. I just wanna say to SillieGillie that you were on the right track with your review! Anyway, enjoy!

Disclaimer: Don't own it, wish I did, the usual stuff...

**Chapter 5: Ron's Wrath**

Ron felt sunlight on his face. He rubbed his eyes and opened them groggily. His head felt like it was about to burst open. He yawned and looked around the dimly lit room. It must be very early, and it was a rarity for Ron Weasley to wake up early during holidays. His eyes rested on the bed across the room, where a familiar lump lay sleeping. Harry. For some reason, Ron's eyes narrowed, and the pounding in his head worsened. He felt his hand clench into a fist and he knew he was remembering _something_, he was just too drowsy to know _what_.

Running a hand through his hair, he threw the covers off himself and put his feet on the cold wooden floor. He stared at Harry for another minute, willing himself to remember, but when he couldn't, he shrugged and walked towards the door. The open door.

Then it hit him.

Harry and Ginny.

Ron whipped around so fast he almost lost his balance. He felt his eyes narrow again. He remembered perfectly well now. The night before, he had been awoken by Harry's scream; he had obviously had another nightmare. He remembered calling his name, but when he hadn't responded, he had tried to sleep again. That is, until he felt Harry dash out of the room, leaving the door wide open. Ron wondered where he was going, and he started to follow slowly, until he realized Harry was with Ginny. He hadn't paid much attention to their conversation, being too immersed in the way Ginny was staring at Harry with wide, adoring eyes. And then he had done it. Harry had _kissed _her.

So much for Ginny being over Harry.

He glared at his best friend. However, he didn't have the sudden urge to beat him to a bloody pulp like he had had with Michael Corner and Dean Thomas. Maybe it was because Harry was the only one Ron knew who _wouldn't _try anything with Ginny. Or maybe he was still half asleep and couldn't register the seriousness of his best friend kissing his only sister.

Shaking his head, he walked down the stairs. He spotted a head of brown hair in front of him and he raced down to catch up with her, smoothing down his messy morning hair. He reached out and grabbed her arm. She turned around, fully awake.

"Good morning, Ron," she said, flashing him a smile, which slid off her face when she saw the scowl he was wearing. "Is everything alright?"

Ron shook his head. "No, no, it's not alright. Can I talk to you?"

Hermione raised her eyebrows. Oh, shit. She thought he was going to _tell _her. Why did they always assume that when guys needed to "talk" it involved...that...? Ron squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, aware of Hermione's puzzled gaze, and when he opened them he saw tiny Snitches floating around her head. "I'm going mad," he muttered, before he took her wrist and dragged her down the stairs.

"Morning, mum, be right back for breakfast with 'Mione," he said quickly when the passed the kitchen. He strode through the house until he reached the door to the backyard, which he opened roughly, then held until Hermione passed. When it was shut tight, Hermione rounded on him.

"Why did you call me 'Mione?!" she snapped, looking rather annoyed.

"Never mind that, I didn't wanna bother saying your entire name—four syllables, I mean, c'mon."

Her eyebrows shot up. "I beg your pardon?"

Ron made an exasperated noise. _Why _was she making a big deal out of this? He had better things to consult her about than what kind of nickname he should use for her.

"Can you please _listen _to me for once in your life?!" he said, a little louder than he intended to.

Hermione looked slightly offended. However, the annoyed look had been replaced by intrigue. "What's going on?"

"Help me." Ron sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Okay. Well...you're a girl."

"How kind of you to tell me, I hadn't noticed," she said, smirking slightly.

Ron gave a low growl. She was making him lose his temper at a bad time. A really bad time. "What I mean is—I mean—I _know _you're a girl, so that's why I need your help." She was staring up at him, eyes wide with interest. "Last night...er, Harry woke up screaming."

Hermione closed her eyes and lowered her head. "Oh, no. I can imagine how much worse his dreams are now."

"Yes but...um, this isn't about that."

Hermione looked up, an eyebrow raised. "Then what _is _it about?"

Ron glared at her. "If you stop interrupting, maybe I'll get to that in this century." When she didn't retort, he nodded and continued. "Right. Well, Harry woke me up because of the scream. When asked him if he was all right, he didn't answer, so I assumed he had kept on sleeping and not woken up at all. But then...he stood up and walked out of the room and left the door open. Then he went to Ginny's room and the next thing I know, they're on the stairs talking and—and hugging."

Hermione was biting her lip, a knowing look in her eye. She knew too much. He was deciding right then and there that Hermione Granger knew _way _too much for her own good. He didn't voice this though; he'd rather avoid a row.

"Alright." Ron took a deep breath. "Brace yourself." He opened his mouth, pausing for dramatic effect. "Harry kissed her." He closed his eyes and waited for Hermione's reaction. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes and found her blinking at him expectantly.

"Yes, go on," she said nonchalantly.

"_What the hell?!_" His yell made her jump somewhat. "Do you want me to describe the bloody kiss or something?!"

Hermione was staring at him with her mouth open. "Ron, _get a grip! _Oh, this is what it's about, isn't it?" She put her hands on her hips, staring at him with a look that reminded him strongly of McGonagall. "Ron, you are _un_believable! You are OVERREACTING!" Hermione put her shaking head in her hands for a moment, then looked up at him. "Are you crazy?! You scared me half to death when you said you needed help! I thought something had happened to you or Harry! I didn't think it was so...well, simple!"

"SIMPLE?!" Ron roared. He saw Hermione flinch slightly and hold a finger to her ear. "MY BEST FRIEND SNOGGED MY SISTER!"

An odd silence followed his outburst. Why was she making this seem like it was nothing?! _Holy shit, she's crazy. You fancy a mental person, Weasley. _He didn't know Hermione for nothing, though. He was sure his outburst would surely be followed with a grand one from Hermione herself. Sure enough...

"RONALD WEASLEY, YOU DRIVE ME MAD! URGH! Don't you even _dare _deny that the _only _person you would trust with Ginny is Harry! I can tell he is, I'm not stupid, you know! You think I missed that oh-so-obvious look you gave him on the train, when you mentioned Ginny 'finding someone better'?" She shook her head again. "You are making _such _a big deal out of this, even though you probably don't even need to. You might as well have slapped the two together and said, 'Here, enjoy a snogfest'!"

Ron was staring at her. Surely his jaw must be on the ground. Had she just suggested that he was actually _for _this whole thing? As he thought about this, he saw the sides of her mouth twitch. She was going to laugh. He glared at her.

"What the hell is so funny about this?" he barked.

Hermione bit her lip. "Um—," she snickered, "well, er, Ron...do you realize we're arguing about a relationship we have no control over? Do you think Ginny won't like Harry if you tell her not to?" She grinned. "It's quite funny, really. We're bickering about other people's love lives."

_Yeah, Weasley, when instead you could be doing something to improve yours. _Hermione was laughing now, holding her stomach. Maybe she was trying to tell him that. She might be implying that they could be working on their relationship rather than Ginny's and Harry's. Ron grinned and started laughing too.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," he said, still laughing.

Hermione grinned and put an arm around his shoulders. Ron felt electric shocks shoot through him at this innocent gesture. She leaned her head to one side and said, "But, really, tell me. Do you honestly disapprove of Harry and Ginny?"

Ron gave her a lopsided grin. He saw, to his pleasure, that she bit her lip and blushed. Hey, she liked it. _Good to know. _"Well, you want the truth?" Hermione nodded. Ron awkwardly put a hand around her waist and led her away from a door, to a shady spot under his favorite tree. They sat down; to Ron's disappointment, she had to drop her arm from where it rested atop his shoulder. They sat across from each other. Hermione stared at him expectantly as he tugged on a tuft of grass.

"Okay, this is how it is. I was sort of...jealous, when I found out Ginny liked Harry, because I thought if he liked her back, he would stop spending time with me and give most of his attention to Ginny and—Hermione, Harry's my best friend. I mean, you're my best friend too but you're...er, different." _Yeah, real smooth, Weasley. Don't be so damn clever, slick. _He really hated that little voice sometimes. He cleared his throat and continued. "Anyway, er, yeah. I thought Harry would spend all his time with Ginny and forget about his supposed best friend."

"Oh, Ron," Hermione said softly. "Harry would never do that. You know that!"

Ron nodded. "Yeah, I sort of do. That's why I'm—I don't really _mind _the fact that she—that they—you know...well, I don't mind much." He gave her another half grin. She chuckled.

"You surprise me sometimes, Ronald Weasley," she said, looking him straight in the eye. "You have no idea."

Whoa. What did THAT mean? Did it mean that she wanted him to—you know—_surprise _her? He'd have to find out.

"What do you mean?"

Hermione bit her lip, her cheeks going slightly pink. "Nothing. Alright, well, if you don't mind—much—that Harry kissed Ginny, why were you making such a big deal out of it?"

Ron flinched at the mention of the kiss. "Do you mind not using the words 'kiss' and 'Harry and Ginny' in the same sentence? I'm a little sensitive."

Hermione grinned. "You're such a great big brother. Typically overprotective but overall sweet. So I guess I'm answering my own question. You do this because you care and you're so used to wanting to rip throats every time a guy is interested in your sister that you just, er...followed your instinct."

This, for some reason, made Ron roar with laughter. "If I followed my instinct in other things, I'd have my foot in my mouth." He shook his head and said, "You know, I wasn't gonna tell you this, but I think you know too much about some things."

Hermione stared at him intently. Her eyes were so ablaze with—something—that Ron had to look away. He heard her say, "Yes, but I know too little about other things." He looked up at her and noticed she was still staring at him. "You never know. Maybe your instinct won't be so wrong in the end." She bit her lip. Then she stood up and said, "I'll see you at breakfast."

_At this moment, I'll ignore my instinct. It's not time for **that **right now._

**END POV**

Harry put his glasses on tiredly. His scar was prickling unpleasantly from the dream he had had the previous night. The dream where Ginny had fallen unconsciously into his arms...Harry's eyes widened.

Ginny.

Everything before and after talking to Ginny was hazy. He remembered rambling on about how worried he had been, about being afraid something had really happened to her. He remembered hugging her tightly on the stairs in front of her bedroom door. And most of all, he remembered kissing her.

It had been amazing.

He was thankful that it wasn't his first kiss, for if it had been, he would have made a fool of himself. His knees had gone weak the moment his mouth had touched hers. He had felt a wonderful leaping sensation in the pit of his stomach. He had wanted to keep this magic flowing through him forever.

Harry put his head in his hands. What would he say to her when he saw her? Would she think that kissing him was a mistake and tell him it didn't mean anything to her? He certainly hoped not. But, then again, he had assumed that she was over him. He hoped that maybe she still had some feelings for him. She _had _kissed him back, that had to mean something.

Slowly, Harry got out of bed. He tried, in vain, to flatten his messy hair. Looking around the room, he realized Ron wasn't in bed. Which was odd, since Ron usually slept until he smelled breakfast. A bolt of realization suddenly struck Harry, something that made him freeze in place. How was he going to tell Ron? _What _was he going to tell him? And most of all, was he in danger of Ron's wrath? Harry couldn't help but grin when he remembered Ron's reaction to Michael Corner. And lately he had looked murderous when anyone mentioned Dean. Would he be angry with Harry?

He yawned and walked out of the room. He stopped on the staircase in front of Ginny's room. He glanced sideways at the door, took a deep breath, and knocked. The door opened a crack; a pair of bright brown eyes looked out at him. Ginny opened the door quickly, tugged him inside, and slammed the door shut. She kept her head down, staring at her feet. Apparently, she had been awake for a while. The window was open, letting the sunshine through. Her bed was made and she was fully dressed. Harry was inwardly grateful that Hermione was not in the room.

There was an awkward silence. Then...

"Harry—"

"Ginny—"

They looked up at each other and grinned a little. Then Harry averted his eyes and Ginny sighed. Harry heard her take a deep breath. She said, "Look, Harry, if last night—if last night was a mistake, then just tell me, I'll understand. I never expected you would do that and I guess you got caught up in the moment and it's okay and I know you probably think of me as a little sister and you were just trying to make sure I was alright and if you didn't mean to do what you did, I understand and I'm not mad and—"

Ginny couldn't keep rambling. Harry had effectively shut her up. By kissing her again. He surprised even himself with his sudden forward action. But he didn't mind this method of shutting her up. It worked quite well, in his opinion.

After a moment of just letting her lips rest against his, Ginny pulled away. She licked her lips and murmured, "Wow..." Harry smiled. She looked like she had enjoyed it. That was a good sign. He stepped closer to her and took her hand.

"It—it wasn't a mistake. I did what I did because I wanted to do it. I'm just hoping that you liked it half as much as I did," he said quietly. Ginny smiled and nodded. Then she threw her arms round his neck and hugged him tightly. Harry hugged her back and said, "I'm gonna be here, Gin. I won't let anything happen to you." Then he kissed her cheek and pulled away from the embrace. "C'mon," he said. "Let's go get some breakfast." He started to tug her towards the door when he remembered something. "Um...I was wondering...how are we gonna tell Ron?"

To his surprise, Ginny smiled. "Well..." She leaned forward. "I'll tell Hermione, and I know she'll deal with him," she whispered. Then she gave him a quick kiss and winked at him. "Breakfast?"

Harry grinned and opened the door. "Breakfast."

"Good morning, Hermione," Ginny said as she entered the room, closely followed by Harry. Hermione bit back a smile. They both were pink and looked nervous. It was sort of cute, really. She glanced sideways at Ron, who was sitting motionless on the table, staring blankly at it. Praying he wouldn't do anything stupid, she said, "Hi, Ginny, Harry. You guys hungry? Mrs. Weasley went out back to tend to the chickens but she'll be right back." She took a seat beside Ron and nudged his knee with hers. He glanced up at her, plastered an obviously fake smile on his face, and turned towards Ginny.

"Hello, Ginny. And you, Harry," he said, his voice sounding strained and formal. Ginny and Harry exchanged looks. Hermione kicked Ron under the table and he cleared his throat. "Er...sunny morning, huh?"

Honestly, Ron was the worst liar she had ever met. He couldn't even _pretend _that everything was all right. Hermione stood up and grinned at Harry and Ginny. "Yes, lovely morning...do you guys fancy some eggs? Kippers, maybe?"

Ginny gave her a strange look. Ron turned and mouthed, "Some liar you are." Hermione bit her lip. Sadly, she wasn't much better than him at pretending they didn't know. Ginny shook her head and said, with a quick glance at Harry, "Can I talk to you, Hermione?"

Ron spit out the pumpkin juice he was drinking. Hermione shot him a dirty look and said, "Yeah, Gin, come on." She walked out of the kitchen behind Ginny, turning when she was behind Harry and giving Ron a don't-mess-up look. Ron rolled his eyes at her and scowled. She turned and followed Ginny into the living room.

Ginny was sitting on her favorite chair, looking out the window. She opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again, finally saying, "There's something I need to tell you...and I sort of need your help. I need you to tell Ron what I'm about to tell you and, er, you should break it to him gently." Ginny closed her eyes and said, "Harry and I—"

Hermione interrupted. "I already know, Ginny." The younger girl's eyes snapped open. She waited for Hermione to elaborate. Hermione gave a shaky laugh and said, "Well, er...Harry left the door open when he went to see you, so Ron followed him." She knelt before Ginny and said, "He saw everything."

"Oh, _shit_!" Ginny didn't give Hermione time to reprimand her language. "He's gonna kill him right now, in the kitchen! Why did you leave him with Harry in there?! Ron's gonna hit the roof!"

"Shh! No, Ginny...I already talked to Ron, that's how I know about you and Harry. Listen, Ron doesn't mind. He was in a towering rage this morning, but I got him to talk it out, and he says Harry is the only he'd want you to go out with. So don't worry! I highly doubt Ron's going to start yelling at Harry, and he's most certainly not going to kill him..." Hermione gave Ginny a sympathetic smile and said, "Don't worry. Just give Ron a little time and he'll come around."

Ginny nodded and said, "Thanks Hermione. I don't know what I would do without you here." She stood up and hugged her friend. When she let go, Hermione grinned.

"So...how was it?"

Ginny blushed. She was quiet for a moment, but then she said, "It was great! It felt like..." she giggled, "like magic." Hermione joined her in laughing, but stopped when Ginny said, "I expect full details when Ron kisses _you_, all right?"

Hermione reddened. "What makes you think he will?"

Ginny laughed. "I know my brother. He'll work up the nerve, hopefully sometime in this century. Or maybe..." Ginny poked Hermione playfully. "You might need to take the initiative!"

Both girls laughed and headed back to the kitchen.

**END POV**

Ron looked around the room. "So, what's up, mate?" he said, again in a fake-casual voice.

Harry sat down across from him at the table and said, "Erm, well, quite a bit, actually."

Ron's fake smile left his face. "What do you mean, _quite a bit_?"

Harry wringed his hands. "Er..."

Ron groaned and put his head in his hands. "I wish I had dreamt that...all right, I'll just tell you, to make it easier on you, being the good friend that I am." He sighed. "I know you...um, you kissed Ginny." He winced when he said the word "kissed."

Harry stared at him, dumbstruck. After a moment of silence, he said, "_What?!"_

Ron glared at him. "It's not like I'm happy that I saw you snogging my sister last night! You just left the door open and I wanted to make sure you were okay since you woke up screaming and then the next thing I know, you and Ginny were..." Harry was gaping at him. Ron shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "Look, I'm not mad...so don't worry, you'll live to see me kick your ass in chess another day." Ron gave him a small smile. "You're the only guy who I think is, er, _acceptable _for Ginny. You actually deserve her as much as she deserves you so...yeah. You have a big brother's approval."

"Great. Now all I need is consent from six more." Harry and Ron laughed.

"Yeah, I guess."

Harry smiled at his best friend. "Thanks for understanding, mate."

Ron nodded. "No problem." He patted the back of Harry's hand awkwardly and said, "Er, congratulations, I suppose." He laughed again. "And, erm, good luck."

Harry nodded. "I won't let anything happen to her, Ron. I swear I won't." He grinned. "And, one more thing...when are _you _gonna make a move on our dear best friend?"

"What _are _you talking about Harry?"

Harry smirked. "Hermione."

"Aww, shame...you must have fallen off your broom and wrecked your brains." Both friends laughed and Ron shrugged. "I dunno. But soon."

A/n: Please review and stay tuned for the next chapter!


	6. Dismissals at the Ministry

A/n: I'm hoping maybe I can get 20 reviews for this chapter...I might decide just not to update until I get 20 so REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!! Hehe...anyway, this chapter doesn't have much fluff, just plot thickening devices (I guess that's what I'll call them). Okay, read and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own Harry Potter as much as I own...well, let's not get into such subjects =)

**Chapter 6: Dismissals at the Ministry**

"I just wrote to Dean," Ginny said, bouncing into the room and sitting down next to Harry. "He's a really great guy but, well...there are better." She grinned and took Harry's hand. He smiled at her and turned to look at his best friends.

Hermione gave the couple a kind smile. She looked out of the corner of her eye at Ron, sitting beside her. He was wearing the beginnings of a scowl on his face. Hermione rolled her eyes. He couldn't even be half decent with them, could he? She dug her elbow into his side; she saw him wince and mouth "Ow!" before giving Harry and Ginny a pained smile. Hermione grinned. "Ron, you are such a dope!"

Ron glared at her and said, "Yes, thanks for injuring the dope. Go ahead, have another go at the dope!" He shoved her playfully and grinned back.

Hermione was about to sit up and punch him on the arm but she saw Harry and Ginny exchange knowing looks and decided against it. Too much could come across too soon and she didn't want that, did she?

Ginny put her head on Harry's shoulder (Hermione distinctly heard Ron make a soft gagging noise) and said, "I'm bored. Let's do something."

Ron jumped up at her words. "What do you mean, _something_?"

Hermione giggled. "Sit down, you pervert." Ron gave her a puzzled look. "Ginny means we should do something, not _do _something."

"Eww, Ron," Ginny said, giggling. "Maybe you were thinking of it in that way because _you _wanna do _something _with _someone_." Ginny gave him a zealous wink. Ron blushed and she laughed. "No, really, let's play something."

Ron had his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Like what?"

"I dunno. Hermione, Harry, what do you guys think?"

But they didn't have time to respond, because at that moment four owls flew into the room and landed on each of the four teenagers' shoulders. Hermione transferred the large tawny owl from her shoulder to her lap. She untied the letter attached to its leg and opened it. Hogwarts letter. And another letter, which said:

_Dear Miss Hermione Granger,_

_Like last year, you have been appointed Gryffindor Prefect. Please note that your Prefect actions this year are crucial, as next year you have the possibility of being appointed Head Girl. A list of Prefect duties accompanies this letter. Make sure you follow all Prefect rules and that all duties are up to par at the end of every day. Your partner is again Mr. Ronald Weasley. _

_Yours Sincerely,_

Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmistress 

Hermione took the Prefect badge and glanced up at Ron. He grinned and held up his badge. Hermione returned his smile. She couldn't help but stare at the gleaming lion on the badge. This made her think of another year of Prefect duties with Ron, alone time with Ron.

And that, of course, was a very good thing.

"Hey, Ron," Ginny said, the beginnings of a smirk on her face. "You never told us what all those, er, _Prefect duties _really consisted of."

Harry caught her drift and added, "Yeah, what is it you two do when you're away, alone, together?"

Ron sneered at his sister and best friend. "Ha, very funny, Potter. You're just in cahoots with that little monster I call my sister so she'll snog you again." Hermione sniggered and Ron gave Harry a smug little grin.

Ginny laughed and shook her head. "No, actually, he doesn't have to do anything for me to get a little..." She leaned forward and kissed Harry.

"Oh, man...I just ate! I'd really prefer to keep my breakfast, thanks." Ron turned away and muttered something that sounded like, "...gonna make me puke..."

Hermione smiled. It seemed like Ginny and Harry were attached at the lips. When Ginny finally tore herself away from Harry's mouth, she said, "Aww, you feel sick, Ronnie-poo? Do you need Hermione to take care of you're wittle tummy?" She sniggered. "She can give you a teensy tiny kiss to make you feel better."

Ron was about to retort but Hermione spoke first. "No, there's no need for that. Anyway, we'll need to go to Diagon Alley to get our books. Do you think your mum would go with us?" She looked from Ginny to Ron. The latter was trying to make his fist stop shaking. However, Ginny was sane enough to say, "Yeah, sure, I'll ask her. If not we can go alone."

Hermione bit her lip. "Yes, I suppose so..." A worrying thought had crossed her mind at the prospect of visiting Diagon Alley that year. She really would prefer if Mrs. Weasley accompanied them...at least she'd know what to do if something dangerous should arise. As she was thinking this, she saw Ron's face mirroring her concern.

"Don't worry," he said quietly. "We'll be okay."

Hermione didn't say anything. She looked across to where Harry and Ginny sat. Harry was staring at his hands in his laps, silent as the grave. Ginny was wringing her fingers nervously. Hermione bent her head. After all that had happened, reassurances that everything would be all right didn't quite comfort her.

"Hey," she heard Ron whisper. He tapped her hand lightly. She looked up at him. His eyes were clouded and he looked much older than sixteen. "I mean it. We'll be okay."

Thankfully, neither Harry nor Ginny made any sarcastic comments.

**END POV**

The next day Ron awoke unusually early again. When he went down to breakfast, he found only Ginny up. Taking a glance, he understood why. It was 7:00 in the morning. Something was definitely wrong with him; it was definitely not in his nature to be awake anytime when breakfast was nowhere near ready. Ginny was sitting hunched over at the table, her head in her hands. Her hair was pulled up under a red cap with "W.H." inscribed in white loopy writing. Ron recognized it as the cap Dean had given her earlier that summer. He wondered whether she was sleeping, she was so still.

"Ginny?"

His sister started. He distinctly saw her wipe her freckled cheeks in a would-be casual way. "Hi, Ron," she said in a shaky voice. "Why are you up so early?" Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy.

Something was wrong.

Ron walked over to where she was sitting and knelt in front of her. "Ginny, what's wrong?" Ginny pretended to look confused but when he kept his gaze on her she burst into tears. She startled Ron by throwing her arms around him and sniffling into his shoulder. He rubbed her back gently and said, "What happened?"

"Oh, Ron...Dad's been fired!"

Ron's hand stopped in mid-rub. His sister's voice rang and echoed in his mind. _Dad's been fired! _Fired. He had no job. His father had been fired. Ron pulled away from the hug and looked into Ginny's face. "What do you mean, fired?"

"Fired! As in, he has no job!"

He wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Where's Mum?"

"She went over to the Ministry...Dad's trying to work it out with Fudge, but it's no use! I know that stupid git isn't gonna listen to a word Dad says.... I hate that bastard!"

Ron was staring at her, shocked. So this was Fudge's doing...how he hated him. He bit back a string of colorful words he was tempted to say, and instead asked, "Did Mum wake you up and tell you? Why didn't she tell me?"

Ginny shook her head. "No, Ron, I was up and I found her here sobbing uncontrollably and she had no choice but to tell me...she asked me to tell you when you woke up. She had to go and try to help Dad—"

"She should've woken me up! I should've gone with her!" Ron said, more loudly than he intended.

"Drop the macho act! Look, there's nothing we can do. Fudge fired Dad and I highly doubt he's gonna give him his job back."

Ron suddenly thought of something. "Wait a minute. Why did he fire Dad? He's never had any problems with him, has he?"

Ginny put her head in her hands. "That's the worst part."

Ron raised an eyebrow. "Ginny...what does Fudge know?" She looked up at him and, somehow, he knew what it was about. "The Order...he found out about the Order!"

Ginny nodded, dismay etched all over her pale face. "He thinks that Dad and the rest of the Order are giving Voldemort inside information from the Ministry. That's why he also fired Tonks, and all the other members of the Order who work at the Ministry. Somehow, he didn't find out about Kingsley so we still have _someone _to keep watch there. Fudge blames them for Voldemort being at the Department of Mysteries in June. He says that Dad and everyone else have been on Voldemort's side all along. He's even saying that Dumbledore is putting everyone in danger because he's the leader. He says that Dumbledore and Voldemort have been in this together since the beginning!"

"How does the git explain Dumbledore kicking Voldemort's ass at the Ministry in June?" Ron growled.

Ginny gasped. "Oh, my God, Ron, you said his name!"

"What?"

Ginny gave him a tiny smile. "You finally said his name! Thank Merlin, I was getting tired of you wincing every time Harry, Hermione, and I said his name."

"Oh. Yeah. Anyway, what _is _his explanation for Dumbledore's fight with Voldemort at the Department of Mysteries?"

Ginny snorted. "He thinks it was all a hoax, a trick to make everyone believe Dumbledore is good. He'll do anything to get at Dumbledore, I swear!"

Ron didn't have time to agree with her because their attention was drawn to an owl swooping in through the open kitchen window. "Hermione's _Daily Prophet_," Ron said, standing up and untying the newspaper from the owl's leg. He placed a couple of Knuts in its pouch and it flew out the window.

"Oh, shit! They've already gotten wind of this!" Ron said, gripping the sides of the paper so hard tear marks were appearing. The front of the newspaper featured a picture of Fudge looking livid.

"WHAT?! Lemme see!" Ginny snatched the paper from his hands and glared down at it. Ron watched her eyes move from one side of the page to the other, her expression becoming more and more disgusted. Finally, after a few minutes, she threw the paper down and said, "Filthy bastard..."

Ron bent down and picked up the paper. It said:

MINISTRY DISEMPLOYS MANY 

_Early this morning Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge himself fired many Ministry officials. Among them is Arthur Weasley, Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office, and Nymphadora Tonks, newly trained Auror. Both, along with another number, were found to be part of a secret group led by none other than Albus Dumbledore. He calls this group a certain "Order of the Phoenix." Cornelius Fudge suspects Dumbledore has recruited certain members of the Ministry to act as spies, feeding You-Know-Who with inside information about goings-on at the Ministry. Fudge accuses these members of the Order of the Phoenix to leading You-Know-Who right to the Department of Mysteries one evening last June._

_"Dumbledore has had this up his sleeve since the very beginning!" said Fudge after dismissing the culprits this morning. "He pretended to fight off Lord—er—Thingy at the Department of Mysteries, just to look good in front of everyone! The man is no more than a liar and a charlatan!" _

_Arthur Weasley, who has been working at the Ministry for over 10 years, claims that Fudge is terribly mistaken. "Cornelius Fudge's only purpose is to finger Dumbledore for anything that goes wrong in his precious world. None of us, especially not Dumbledore, would EVER help You-Know-Who in any way that could harm our friends and family. Fudge is a control-crazed maniac!"_

_Fudge tells us that it is surprising that Weasley did this, since his family is so closely acquainted with The Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter, but he's sure Weasley is guilty. When Weasley's son, Percival Weasley, was questioned about this ordeal, he said he had nothing to do with it. "I broke ties with my family the minute they decided to believe Dumbledore rather than our very own Minister. My father has greatly ashamed me and I am telling you that I believe Cornelius Fudge is right with his accusations."_

_Further investigations about Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix are being made._

Ron stared at the article in blind disbelief. His brain was a mess of Fudge's allegations and Percy's inconsiderate words. But only one thing stood out in his mind.

"Harry."

"What?" said Ginny, looking up at him with a puzzled look on her face.

"Harry. He's got to get out of here! Fudge was stupid enough to say we're close to Harry! Everyone will know he's here, including—"

"Voldemort!" Ginny finished, clapping a hand to her mouth.

The siblings stared at each other in silence. Things were certainly becoming too complicated.

END POV 

Hermione sat in the living room, her head in her hands. On either side of her sat Harry and Ron. Ginny was sitting in front of her. Ron had just told her and Harry what had happened. Hermione was still in shock, utter disbelief. She bit her lip. This just didn't make sense. Fudge just wanted something to use against Dumbledore. She understood why the minister was so opposed to anything having to do with Dumbledore; he was intimidated. But she couldn't quite place why he was doing this to Mr. Weasley, a man who had worked diligently at the Ministry for such a long time.

"How did he find out about the Order?" Hermione asked, still cradling her head in her hands.

Ron shrugged. "We have no idea. But he did, and that's enough to worry about."

Hermione finally looked up and nodded. She was quiet for a moment. Then she said softly, "What's your dad going to do?"

Ron stared at her blankly. She noticed his eyes were a darker blue color again, like they had been when she had worried about Diagon Alley. He looked much older and wiser. But right now there was also confusion. He shook his head and said, "I really don't know...I just know this is definitely not good." He stood up and gave a frustrated sigh. Hermione distinctly heard him mutter, "If only we weren't so damn poor."

She closed her eyes. This was the worst part of the ordeal. The Weasleys weren't very wealthy. They didn't have a great amount of money saved up. They had depended on Mr. Weasley for a living. Hermione stood up and walked over to Ron. She put a hand on his shoulder. He looked up briefly. Hermione whispered, "Don't worry, Ron. You guys will get through this. We're going to try to help as much as we can."

"Yeah," said Harry, speaking up for the first time in a few minutes. He went to where his best friends were standing and put his hand on Ron's other shoulder. "Of course we'll be here for you, mate. You guys are the most important people in our lives."

Ron finally turned around. He put an arm around Hermione and Harry and gave them a weak smile. "Thanks."

Hermione smiled up at him. "Anything for you," she said. Ron's ears turned pink. "And...and your family. You and your family," she added hastily. She looked away, scolding herself. _Nice save. _

Ginny smiled at them. "You guys are great." She nodded at Ron. "This one chose good friends. At least he dID something right," she said playfully. They were all quiet until they heard a noise coming from the fireplace.

Ron's eyebrows furrowed. "What's that?" He stepped forward, towards the fireplace. He was about to lean down and look up into it when ash flew out of it, along with a person. Ron backed away as the man straightened up and dusted himself off. When the ash cleared, Hermione saw Ron's eyes widen.

"Moody?"

"That's right, boy," growled Moody. His normal eye stayed on Ron while his magical eye moved over Ginny, Hermione, and finally Harry. It lingered on Harry for quite a while before Moody spoke again. "Are your parents here already?" he asked. Ron shook his head.

"They've been out since this morning...you've heard, right?"

"'Course I heard. Arthur couldn't convince that jackass, they were on their way here when I last talked to them about—"he looked down at a watch on his wrist, "—2 minutes ago. They should be getting here any minute."

As if on cue, the door to the Burrow opened and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley rushed in. "Alastor! You're already here. Good," said Mr. Weasley, walking over to Moody.

Ginny jumped up. "Dad, is everything all right?"

Mrs. Weasley answered for him. "I'm afraid not, Ginny. But we have some important things to deal with before we discuss that."

"That's right," said Moody, his magical eye still on Harry while his normal eye settled on Mr. Weasley. "Potter, I suggest you start packing your things."

"WHAT?" chorused the four teenagers. Ron turned and looked at his father. "What's he talking about, Dad?"

Mr. Weasley sighed. "I'm sorry, Ron, but for Harry's own safety, he has to go."

Moody nodded curtly. "If Fudge had kept his mouth shut about Harry's relationship with you, Potter would be able to stay here. However, the circumstances are much too dangerous. I've already talked to Dumbledore and he agrees. I will escort Potter back to the Muggles." Moody looked at Harry with both eyes. "Now."

Harry's jaw had dropped. "I don't want to stay with the Dursleys!"

Moody gave a hoarse laugh. "Don't act like a child. You know perfectly well why you have to stay with those accursed Muggles." Ron and Hermione gave Harry a puzzled look. He ignored it and glared back at Moody.

"Why do I have to go now?"

"Because it's safer. We don't want anyone coming around here looking for you. And at the Dursleys you can't be touched. Your aunt and uncle already know that you're coming. Now hurry up and get your stuff."

"Wait a minute," said Hermione. Everyone in the room stared at her. She took a deep breath and said, "Why do you say that Harry can't be harmed at Privet Drive? Why can't he just stay here? At the Dursleys he has no full grown wizards to call for help in case he needs it!"

"Hermione," Harry said quietly. "Don't ask. Really. I'm just safe at the Dursleys. Bottom line."

Hermione shook her head. "You're my best friend! I want to know why you're being taken back there! I need to understand that, Harry!" She glanced at Ron and added, "We all do."

Harry stared at the ground for a few moments. Then he murmured, "My mother. Aunt Petunia has her blood. And apparently, that's my protection." He looked up at her and she was pained to see that his eyes were glassy with tears. "Because she died to protect me. And the protection is still up, as long as I stay with Aunt Petunia."

Hermione bit her lip. "I'm sorry Harry, I didn't kno—"

Harry interrupted. "Forget it, Hermione. You wanted to know. Well, now you can try to understand. Because I sure as hell can't." He looked back at Moody and said, "I'll go pack up...be right back." Before anyone could stop him, he turned and ran up the stairs.

Hermione sank into her chair, shocked. She knew how hard it must be for Harry to talk about his mother. She imagined he must blame himself even more for her death than he did before. Because he knew for sure that she chose to give up her life for him. Hermione felt Ron sit next to her. She looked up at him. He was staring at her with a look that plainly said, "I understand how you feel." She was more thankful than ever before for having him as her best friend.

"I'm sorry, you two," Mr. Weasley said, looking at Ron and Hermione. "This is my fault."

"Don't be ridiculous, Arthur. Fudge is the only one to blame here," Moody said, his magical eye blank. It was obviously staring up through the floor of the stairs, watching Harry in Ron's room.

Ginny was sitting quietly, staring at her hands in her lap. Hermione felt sympathetic for her. Just when she was starting a relationship with Harry, one she had been waiting four years to start, he was being taken away from her.

Harry returned a few minutes later, carrying Hedwig's cage under one arm and dragging his trunk with his free hand.

Moody nodded. "All right, Potter. Let's go."

"How are we gonna get there?" Harry asked, his voice curt and stony.

Moody pointed at his trunk. "Your broom in there?" he asked. Harry nodded. "Take it out. We're flying back, like we did when we brought you to Grimmauld Place."

"Except that this time I don't have half the wizarding world looking after me, right?"

Hermione cursed inwardly. Harry's sarcasm was back. It had managed to disappear after the three weeks he had spent with them at the Burrow. But now that they were forcing him back to the place he least liked, it was back and as bad as before.

"That was for your own safety. But no, this time it's just Remus and me," Moody answered. Hermione saw Harry's hard expression soften.

"Professor Lupin is here?" he asked, with what sounded like anticipation in his voice.

"He should be...Molly, can you check to see if he's outside?" Moody said, turning to Mrs. Weasley. She nodded and dashed out the front door. Not long after that she came back with Remus Lupin.

He looked shabbier than ever. It looked like he hadn't shaven in a couple of days. His eyes were gray and hollow. It looked like he was making an effort just being here. Hermione saw him glance at Harry, but very briefly. Her heart broke. Looking at Harry must remind him of Sirius. But then again...everything most likely reminded him of his best friend.

"Hello, everyone," he said, in a sort of lifeless voice.

A weak "hello" rang throughout the silence in the room. Moody finally broke the tension by saying, "All right. Best get going."

Hermione stood up and walked over to Harry. "Keep in touch, Harry. Please." He nodded. Hermione threw her arms around him and said, "I'm so sorry." Harry patted her back but did nothing else to acknowledge her presence. She pulled away and sat back down next to Ginny.

Ron walked up to Harry and clapped him on the back. "I'll see you when we start school. And Hermione's right...write to us, okay?" Harry muttered an, "Uh-huh." Ron looked disappointed, but he didn't say anything.

Mrs. Weasley took Harry into a bone-crushing hug. "I wish you could stay with us, Harry, dear..." She pulled back and looked at him. "You know you're like one of my own. I love you." She kissed him on the cheek. Hermione could tell that this good-bye had more meaning to Harry; Mrs. Weasley had always been like a mother to him.

Mr. Weasley took Harry's hand and shook it. "I'm sorry about all this, Harry. We're gonna miss you for the rest of the summer." He gave him a small smile and said, "You're turning out to be an amazing young man."

Harry kept his head down as Ginny approached him. Ron and Hermione looked at each other. This was going to be the hardest good-bye.

Ginny was looking at the ground. Harry looked up and put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Gin," he whispered. "I'll see you soon." Ginny nodded but still didn't look up. Harry put his hand on her chin and raised her head. "I had a great time with you." Ginny's eyes brimmed with tears and she suddenly leaned forward and kissed Harry firmly on the lips. The adults in the room looked surprised. Hermione saw Ron smile shyly. She grinned at him and whispered in his ear, "Thanks for finally getting over that little phase you had."

Ginny pulled away from the kiss and leaned her forehead on Harry's. "I'll miss you," she murmured. Harry nodded and stepped towards the door where Moody and Lupin were waiting.

"Good-bye everyone. Thanks for everything," he said, giving them a forced smile. Then he walked out the door behind Moody and Lupin.

A/n: So, what do you think?? Please review!! Oh, and I decided that I would have Ginny say Voldemort's name cuz I don't think she's affected by it like Ron is (or should I say, was) since she had to deal with him possessing her. Anyway, remember to leave feedback!


	7. Don't Know Her

A/n: Okay, well, this took me quite a while to update. Before I finished it, I had to go back to school and I've had a few friendship conflicts. Anyway, I really got into a different feel for this chapter so it's not gonna have the R/Hr stuff I wanted it to have. I will try to post the next chapter as soon as possible, and it WILL have a lot of fluff and a conflict I've wanted to put in since I started this fic. It emphasizes something I think is important. Anyway, I hope you guys like this!

Disclaimer: If I owned the Harry Potter franchise, I would only need to have Adam Brody to make my life complete...

**Chapter 7: Don't Know Her**

It had been a week since Harry had left the Burrow. Ron had noticed that Ginny had been rather quiet the whole time and he knew she must miss him very much. Hey, he and Hermione hadn't stopped talking about what he might be doing, stuck in a house, alone with the Muggles. Hermione bit her lip every time he mentioned Harry, and it was obvious to him that she was extremely worried about him.

He was beginning to dread talking about Harry. One morning at breakfast, he finally let it out. He and Hermione were sitting across from each other eating another huge breakfast Mrs. Weasley had prepared when she mentioned their best friend.

"It's really not fair," Hermione blurted out all of a sudden, letting her fork fall with a loud clank. Ron bit back a rude reply and instead raised an eyebrow. Hermione sat back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. "It must feel like he's in some sort of cage or something. Those people hate him, Ron! They're horrible to him. And he has no choice but to spend his free time surrounded by them. The way they treat him, honestly...not to mention that they're starving him!"

Ron mentally drowned her out, without meaning to. He was just tired of having endless conversations about Harry. It seemed like it was the only thing they ever talked about anymore was Harry. "Poor Harry" and "I wish Harry was here with us" and "I wonder what Harry's doing...all alone at Privet Drive..." Conversations like this were starting to drive him mad. It's not that he didn't care about his best friend. Of course he did. Harry was one of the most important people in his life. It was just that he was feeling like Hermione only put up with him because Harry did. With talks like this, there was no time to talk about their own lives.

There was no time to discuss their relationship.

"Ron!" He looked up to see Hermione glaring at him. She sighed disgustedly. "You weren't listening to me, were you? And you still ask why I get so upset with you..."

"Look, Hermione, will you stop assuming the worst? Damn..."

Hermione was still scowling. "So you're going to deny that you weren't listening to me?"

Ron ground his teeth together. "I was just thinking that...well, all you ever talk about is Harry!"

Hermione looked taken aback. "Ron, he's my best friend! I'm worried about him! Don't you understand? It's inevitable for me to worry about him! People want him dead! He's in danger."

Ron looked away. "You're in danger," he murmured. He met her gaze. "I'm in danger, too. But the only person you worry about is Harry. It's like you don't realize that your life is also on the line. You're blaming me for not caring when I care more than you! I have to worry about Harry being killed by this crazy evil bloke and you...you're Muggle-born! Don't you understand this war? It's not just about Harry. It's about people like you being persecuted because of what's in their blood. Voldemort is getting Death Eaters to go after Muggle-borns. You're so close to Harry, so you're really high up on they're list, and I don't want anything to happen to you. But you don't seem to know that you're in about as much danger as him!" He realized Hermione was staring at him with her mouth slightly open and what looked like guilt in her eyes. He shook his head. "I just hate it that whenever only the two of us are around we only talk about Harry. To me it seems like you wouldn't even put up with me if it wasn't for Harry."

Hermione was biting her lip and wringing her hands together. "Oh, Ron...I'm so sorry. I—you're right. You're right about everything." Then she shook her head and caught his eye. "Except for one thing. I do _not _'put up' with you. See, you and Harry are two different people, and therefore you mean two different things to me." For some reason, her cheeks turned pink and she bit her lip again. Looking flustered, she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "I do care about you. So don't ever think that if it weren't for Harry, we wouldn't be friends, because that's not true. It's just that you're right here. I can see that you're in one piece, that you're not hurt. But Harry is miles away and I have no way of knowing if anything is happening to him. I want you to know that I would go mad if _anything_ happened to either of you. I just want to make sure that nothing will happen..." Her voice trailed off.

Ron nodded. "All right. I'm not going to promise that we won't get hurt but I—I'll promise to do everything to protect you and Harry."

"And yourself," Hermione added, never taking her eyes off him.

Ron hesitated before saying, "Yeah. And myself." He grinned at her and she smiled back. Just when he was feeling his ears growing hot, he heard a noise behind him. He whipped around to see Ginny bounding down the stairs with a smile on her face, something he hadn't seen since before Harry left.

"What are you so happy about?" he asked.

Ginny's grin widened as she said, "I'm going to Privet Drive."

"What?!" chorused Ron and Hermione.

Ginny giggled. "You two are cute when you do that. I said I'm going to Privet Drive. Harry told me the Dursleys are going out for a couple of hours today and he said I could come over."

"Oh, that's nice. I'm his _best friend_ and he doesn't invite me over! What the hell are you two gonna go for a couple of hours?" Ron grumbled. Hermione cleared her throat and he looked over at her. "What?!" he asked impatiently. She gave him a pointed look. Ron rolled his eyes. "Half the time I don't understand you." He turned back to Ginny and saw that her cheeks were pink.

"Harry has ideas for some, er, activities we can do before I have to come back here," she said quietly. Ron's jaw dropped and he distinctly heard Hermione suppressing giggles behind him.

"Ugh...you two are sick...have fun," he said, smiling a little despite himself.

"Oh, I will," said Ginny, grinning at the two of them. "We will." She sniggered and said, "I'm just wondering whatever you two will do all alone. Maybe Harry has some suggestions for possible things to do to pass the time."

Ron was aware that his ears must be bright red. "We'll save you some lunch, Gin. I'm sure you'll be too busy to eat anything." Ginny sniggered. Ron's eyes widened. "Oh, eww...I wanted the rest of my breakfast, dammit! Thanks a lot...ugh..."

Ginny and Hermione were both laughing now. "All right, you two, I'll see you later...I hope you don't get too bored." She winked at Hermione and walked out the door.

Ron shook his head. "I'm gonna have to wash that girl's mouth with soap...if she could get it off Harry's mouth." He shuddered.

Hermione laughed. "Leave them alone already. Okay, well, what are we going to do today?" Ron's mind went blank. What exactly was she suggesting? She shook her head and said, "I'll just promise not to talk about Harry. Ginny's taking care of him today. Deal?"

Ron grinned. This was going to be one fun day. "Deal."

**END POV**

Harry gazed out the window with a rare smile playing on his lips. Ginny would be coming over today. He had managed to find out ahead of time when the Dursleys would be going out of town for a few hours and he had been able to tell Ginny. So she was due any minute. He felt somewhat bad that he hadn't insisted Hermione and Ron come too but...well, he and Ginny had things to do. He sniggered at the thought. He had become quite an expert in the art of snogging Ginny. Of course, he hadn't breathed a word about this to Ron; half the time his best friend looked slightly green, so he thought he'd spare him from the thought of his sisters having his best friend's tongue down her throat. So he had decided that he'd like to spend some time alone with Ginny.

The truth was, ever since Lupin and Moody escorted him back to Privet Drive, he had worried about the safety of his friends. He was almost sure he couldn't look them in the eye as of now. He didn't think they were quite aware of how much danger they were in. But he knew. How could he not know? Slowly, he was losing those closest to him, and he had a feeling that gradually, he might have nobody.

That is, if he made it through this alive.

He shuddered. Thoughts like that had invaded his mind ever since he found out about the prophecy. He had tried to push them out but they were always there, as a constant reminder that he would either have to perform murder or be murdered. Half the time, he couldn't help thinking that maybe it would be better if he was killed. After all, he couldn't find any other purpose in his life. He had always been "Famous Harry Potter," "The Boy Who Lived," and now he knew he was "The Boy Everyone Is Counting On To Save The World." So what if he did save the world? If he actually got it done...what then? He had no real dreams of doing anything as a profession. But maybe that was just because he didn't believe he would live to see the day of his graduation.

The doorbell ringing interrupted his thoughts. A grin crossed his face as he jumped up and bounded down the stairs. As soon as he opened the door, he caught a glimpse of Ginny's flushed face before she threw herself onto him. He had come to realize that he did not mind having Ginny attached to his mouth. He let her kiss him for a minute or so before pulling away. Ginny was slightly breathless. He grinned at her and said, "Come in." She returned the smile and stepped inside, shutting the door behind her.

"So," she said, with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Where's your room?"

Harry laughed. "I always wondered which Weasley child was most like Fred and George. Guess I found the naughty one at last." Ginny hit him on the arm playfully. He grabbed her hand and said, "Come on, I'll show you." He led her up the stairs to his room, the room that used to be Dudley's second bedroom. Harry thought of something. "I didn't ever tell you about his, huh? Wow..."

"What?" Ginny asked.

Harry shrugged. "Before I turned eleven, I used to sleep in a cupboard under the stairs."

Ginny gasped. "Oh, Harry, that's so cruel!"

"That's the Dursleys for you," he said with a shaky laugh. They reached his room. He waved a hand to the door. "Anyway, this is Dudley's second bedroom. They gave it to me 'cause they thought it would stop the letters from coming."

"Letters from Hogwarts?" Harry nodded. "Wow...I thought Muggles were a little dim but...not full out stupid! No offense, Harry."

Harry laughed. "None taken. Trust me." He opened the door. "Okay, make yourself at home." Ginny stepped inside and grinned when she saw Hedwig. She went to the owl's cage and poked her fingers through the bars to stroke Hedwig's feathers. "I haven't done much to this room...I just stuffed all of Dudley's crap in a closet." He pointed to a door at the far left corner of the room. "Don't open it," he warned with a smile. He crossed over to his bed and sat on the corner. "So what have you guys been up to since I left?"

Ginny shrugged and turned to look at him. "Ron and Hermione have been doing homework mostly, just 'cause Hermione forced my brother to do it and, well, you know he'll do anything for that girl." She smiled. "But they finished all their homework yesterday so today they have free time...and they're allll alooone."

Harry furrowed his eyebrows. He wasn't sure he liked the idea of Ron and Hermione together. He knew it was bound to happen sometime or another, but it was sort of sickening. They _were _his best friends. It was wrong to think of them doing anything more than hanging out. There was part of him that didn't want them together because he was afraid they would neglect him. _Well, you're sort of leaving them out right now. _But that was just because he didn't want to think about how it was all his fault that they were in so much danger...

"Harry, are you there?" He looked up to see Ginny standing in front of him, looking concerned.

"Sorry, I sorta spaced out for a second." He smiled. "But I'm back."

"Good...I missed you." Ginny's statement had been serious. Before he could say anything, she leaned down and kissed him deeply. He couldn't help thinking how much he missed this, even though he'd only had it for such a short amount of time. He loved being around Ginny. She just gave off this great aura. Not to mention that she was a great kisser. He let her slowly push him down until he was lying down with her on top of him. She pulled back and said, "You have no idea how much I've missed you. I can't get Ron and Hermione away from each other." She ran a hand through his hair. "It sucks being alone."

"You're not alone now," Harry whispered as he leaned up to catch her mouth with his. He marveled at how nice it felt to kiss Ginny. He actually liked it and he felt warmth seeping through him. With Cho it had just been weird. When he had told Ron that the kiss was wet, he was being honest, because he had felt nothing else when he kissed Cho. But with Ginny it was different. And he certainly liked it. Especially when she sort of nibbled on his bottom lip like she was doing now. She let her lips trail from his mouth to his chin and he felt a warm electricity flow through him as she slowly sucked on the skin of his chin. He brought her closer to him and kissed her neck. This was the only bliss he could find during such troubling times. She brought his face up to hers and kissed him deeply on the lips. He felt her pull back again and he opened his eyes. She was grinning at him in a way that was uncanny of Fred and George. He couldn't help but mentally snigger.

"Let's explore," she said.

Harry almost choked on his tongue. "W-what?!"

Ginny giggled. "Don't be sick-minded. I meant let's explore this house. I get the feeling you don't see much of it, besides your room, the living room, and the kitchen. Am I right?" Harry nodded. "Well...maybe there's something interesting in, say, your aunt's room."

Harry raised an eyebrow. That was certainly a thought. He had never actually seen the inside of his aunt and uncle's room the fourteen years he had lived in the house. But what interesting thing could he find in a room inhabited by people who didn't tolerate anything that was slightly out of the ordinary? And suddenly it hit him. What if Aunt Petunia had pictures or old possessions of his mother?

Ginny nodded. "I knew you'd think it was interesting." She jumped off him and took his hand. "C'mon...to your aunt and uncle's room!" She walked out the door and glanced down the hallway. "Okay, which one is it?" Harry pointed to the large door at the end of the corridor. Ginny led him forward and when they were in front of the door, she put her hand on the doorknob. She glanced at Harry and said, "What interesting things do you think they might have?" Harry shrugged. He didn't want to have high hopes of finding memories of his mother that he didn't have. Ginny opened the door and let go of his hand as they went to different sides of the room to rummage through the closets at either side.

Harry was glad to see that he was searching through Aunt Petunia's closet. There were tons of dull, pale colored dresses and ugly, pointy shoes, but nothing that caught his attention. He was about to close the door when he caught a glimpse of a small shelf at the top. He shoved a couple of unattractive crocodile skin purses out of the way and saw a thick, dust covered book towards the very back of the shelf. He stretched his hand and tired to reach it. His fingers could graze the spine but couldn't bring the book down. Strangely, he was reminded of reaching frantically for the Snitch.

"Gin," he called. "I found something." He pointed to the shelf. "It's a book. I think it might be a photo album."

Ginny tilted her head to the right. "Hmm...definitely sounds interesting." She grinned at Harry. "I'm a _tiny _bit taller than you, so if I stand on tip-toe, I'm pretty sure I'll reach it." She looked up at the shelf, raised herself onto the tips of her feet, and reached for the book. She struggled for a few seconds, and then came down holding the dusty book and sneezing. She rubbed her nose for a minute. Then she held out the book to Harry and said, "You were right. A photo album. Must be your aunt's."

Harry nodded and reached out to take it. For some reason, he noticed his hands were shaking. He realized this album might have pictures of his mother. And although he had seen some before, they were the only ones he had seen, and if there were some in this book, he was definitely looking forward to getting to know his mother in the only way he could.

He opened the album and found one thing written on the cover, in pretty, cursive handwriting much like Hermione's:

Lily.

On the tail of the 'y,' Harry noticed she had drawn a small flower. He smiled. Seeing this made him think about how young his mum really was when she was killed. She had her whole life ahead of her with the man she loved (well, that's what Harry hoped) and a new child. But it was ripped from her in one night.

Forcing these melancholy thoughts out of his head, he turned the page. It was full of pictures of a pink baby with a huge toothless grin. She had two strands of bright red hair on top of her otherwise bald head. Harry smiled as he touched every picture, feeling tears welling up in eyes. He blinked them away forcefully. "I like this one the best," he said, pointing to a picture where baby Lily had her arms stretched out and was wearing the biggest grin of all. He touched her hands. "They're so tiny," he whispered.

Ginny put an arm around him. "She was a beautiful baby," she said. "Just look at those eyes." She looked into Harry's own eyes. "They're just like yours." She was right. Harry found himself being stared back at by his eyes; large and emerald green. He noticed her eyes were slightly almond shaped and decided he agreed with Ginny. She was gorgeous.

The pictures on the next few pages were of when she was a toddler and a little girl. Harry noticed she was always smiling and that her freckled cheeks were always slightly pink. In one, she was be hugging a teddy bear to her cheek. In another, she was lying in a field of white daisies and lilies. In some, she was pursing her lips in a kissing way towards the camera. In one of his favorites, she was sitting on a broom and laughing. He suspected she was pretending to be a witch, since this was long before she would find out that she really was one. He saw Halloween pictures where she dressed up as a bunch of grapes, a bunny, and a princess. He and Ginny laughed when they saw one where she was dressed in black robes and had a huge black witch's hat perched on her head. He liked one where she was sitting on a white chair in a grassy yard, having a tea party with her bears and a disgruntled looking young Petunia. She wasn't looking at the camera, but at Lily with a scowl on her face. He loved one where Lily was wearing a long white dress and she had her back to the camera, her hands in the air. There were so many, he couldn't choose which he liked best.

Then he came to one page where she had glued a piece of aging parchment; her Hogwarts letter. Ginny breathed a "Wow" when she saw it; the parchment, despite the age, was still intact. What caught Harry's attention, though, was a loose letter folded into the edge of the page. He took it out and unfolded it. He almost dropped it in shock. It was a letter from Lily to Petunia. It was dated October 18, 1981.

13 days before she was killed.

With shaking hands he started to read the letter:

_Dear Petunia,_

_I know we haven't always been on the best of terms, but I really wanted you to know a couple of things that have been on my mind. We've never really been civil to each other, and I've never been quite able to understand that. I hope you'll at least take the time to read this short letter, even if it is from me. _

_I must admit I was disappointed that you decided not to come to my wedding last year. Despite the fact that you never did anything to contact me, it was still disappointing. Petunia, it was my wedding! But I suppose you didn't want to let go of any old bitterness. I wish you would visit me one of these days; you could meet Harry and I could meet Dudley. Don't you want our kids to know their aunts? After all, we're their family._

_I wasn't going to write this letter because I had a feeling you would just throw it away the minute you realized it was from me. I just wanted you to know that the Dark Lord of the wizarding world is persecuting my husband James and me. Right now, we are in hiding and I have no idea what will happen. All I know is that we are definitely in danger. I wanted you to keep my photo album because, if something might happen to me, I want you to have it. There are moving pictures in there; they were taken with a magical camera, so don't freak out. _

_What I wanted to say most of all to you, Petunia, is that I still think about you sometimes. I know we haven't always gotten along well, we've had our rows, and we've been ready to pull each other's hair out at times. I wish things would have worked out differently and we could have been closer. I'm sorry about all the trouble we've had in the past. Maybe you'll consider changing that in the future. _

_I hope Vernon and Dudley are well. _

_Love from your sister,_

_Lily_

Harry couldn't help feeling shocked. His mother had tried to make amends with her sister...thirteen days before she was killed. He blinked to stop the burning feeling on the sides of his eyelids. He felt Ginny's hand on his back. "This is unbelievable...she apologized for all the trouble they had had through the years...and then he killed her." The last part of the statement came out choked and angry. He felt Ginny's arms embracing him. He buried his face in her shoulder and let her hold him. All he could do was think about everything he had just found. And he found that it hurt.

Because he didn't know his own mother.

**END POV**

That evening Harry lay facedown on his bed, his head buried in his pillow. Conflict after conflict. That's all his life was made up of. Just endless conflict. He could feel adrenaline coursing through him but he didn't notice it too much. Not compared to the empty feeling he had.

She was truly a stranger. That hurt. His mother was a complete stranger. He didn't know if she had had any pets, if she had ever worn braces, if she had ever been sick and had flowers brought to her bed. He didn't know if she had ever had any imaginary friends, if she had ever broken a bone, or if she had ever thrown a tantrum. He had no idea how she and his father had met or how they had come to have so many problems with each other at school. For that matter, he didn't know how they had reconciled and ended up getting married.

He just didn't know her.

And it hurt.

He felt a tear trickling down his face and didn't wipe it. He realized that he would give anything for a day with Lily, just to get to know her and have some memory of her. Because the only memory he _did _have was of pleading screams and cries of horror. He felt worse about not knowing his mother than his father because he actually knew _some _things about him. He had the Marauder's Map, James' invisibility cloak, he had even gotten to know two of his father's best friends. Even though one of them was gone, he had spent some time with him and they'd talked about James.

But what did he have of Lily's?

Only her eyes. He didn't know anyone who was close to her. He had no mementos of her besides this old photo album. He wasn't about to ask Aunt Petunia for some childhood stories of her sister.

Harry sat up and glanced at the album lying on the end of his bed. It was open to the page with Lily's Hogwarts letter and the letter she had written to Aunt Petunia. He suddenly remembered that she had mentioned wizarding photos in there. After reading the letter to Aunt Petunia, Harry had closed the book and busied himself (made extremely easy with Ginny there). But now he remembered that he might be able to see some more moving pictures of his mother and, maybe, his father.

He grabbed the book and dropped it open on his lap. He flipped through it until he saw a figure moving in one of the pictures. He saw Lily sitting by the lake with an open book in her lap. She was braiding part of her long red hair. Sitting in front of her was none other than Remus Lupin. Harry grinned as Lupin picked up a book that sat at his side and started moving his mouth, obviously talking to her, and Harry wished he could hear what he had been saying. His mother and Lupin must have been friends. Maybe that's how she and James set aside their differences.

He turned the page and saw a picture of Lily at the Astronomy tower with a telescope to her eye. He watched as she turned from it and diligently took down notes on a small notebook sitting on the windowsill. She was so beautiful. "Mum..." he whispered, knowing fully well that the picture couldn't respond. However, he could have sworn that the Lily in the picture looked up at him briefly when he addressed her.

On the next few pages there were more pictures of Lily at work; in the library, in the Charms classroom, speaking to Professor McGonagall. Harry gave a small laugh. Evidently, she had much in common with Hermione. And she looked just like Ginny. Ironic.

One page finally caught his eye. It was a large picture, taken late at night in the Gryffindor common room. It looked exactly as it looked now, with a merry fire crackling and casting shadows around the room. There were three people in the picture. The most noticeable ones were his mum asleep in his dad's arms. James had his glasses off and was winking at the camera. The hand that wasn't around Lily's waist was holding up a thumbs-up sign. In the back of the picture there was a young man with longish black hair and a handsome face, who looked like he was sniggering. Sirius. Harry felt tugging at the sides of his eyes again and quickly turned the page.

There were some more pictures of Lily and James. At Hogsmeade with an arm around each other's backs. Laughing as they walked through the halls of Hogwarts. Hand in hand as they walked around the lake. There were a couple that amused him. One of them was Lily looking very red in the face as she glared at James, who was smirking smugly. There were many like that; sometimes James also looked livid. Harry laughed when he saw these. They looked just like Ron and Hermione.

He realized that he wouldn't have these pictures if it wasn't for the rest of the Marauders trailing after his parents for a good laugh. Probably lead by Sirius, they had taken all these pictures.

He was glad they had been there.

A knock at his door made him jump. He heard someone rasping urgently on his door so he mumbled, "Come in." It surprised him that anyone was bothering to knock in the first place. What surprised him more, though, was that Aunt Petunia came in, wearing a look on her face that he had never seen her use with him before. He couldn't recognize what it was.

She was quiet for a moment and then mumbled, "I thought you might have found that thing."

_Oh, shit, you're getting it now, Potter. You went snooping around a nosy person's house. _"Yeah...sorry, I accidentally, er, stumbled across it."

Petunia nodded. "Well. I really have no use for it so..." She paused and looked down at the album with an odd look on her face. "Keep it."

Harry raised his eyebrows. He wasn't being chewed out. This was weirder than he expected. His aunt wasn't looking at him and she was shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Finally, she made up her mind and sat down at his desk.

Still not looking at him, she said, "Found the letter she wrote, did you?"

Harry nodded. When he realized she didn't see him, he said, "Y-yeah...it fell out of the album when I was looking through it."

She nodded again and didn't say anything. This was definitely something out of the ordinary. He was about to speak but she beat him to it. "Harry..." She paused again, and he held his breath. This had to be big—she didn't like to use his name. She finally looked up at him and said, "Give it here, for a moment."

Harry stared, somewhat dumbstruck. Her eyes turned slightly cold again and she said, "Hurry up, boy, I have other things to do." Without hesitating anymore, he handed it to her. She took it swiftly and started flipping through the pages, only pausing briefly at the page with Lily's letter on it. Finally, she found what she was looking for and handed it back to Harry, who took it silently. "I took that picture," she said, nodding towards it. "We were teenagers and I had just yelled at her. My mother was angry and made me take a picture of her. Lily gave me this look that she'd always reserved for me and it was the only thing she would do for the picture. So I just took it like that."

There was a ringing silence. Harry looked down at the picture and saw a Lily of about his own age looking at the camera. Her eyes were solemn and her expression was something between boredom and irritation. It was impossible to look away from her eyes; it was a very close up picture, and so her eyes were her most prominent feature.

When Petunia spoke again, it startled Harry. "I always thought that picture shows that you really have her eyes." She stood up and looked down at the album for a long moment. Harry kept his head down so he wouldn't have to look at his aunt, because he wasn't sure what he would see. He finally heard her footsteps, then the open and close of a door.

He sat, still looking at the picture of his mother, stunned.

A/n: Well, the next chapter will talk about what Ron and Hermione did while Ginny was at Privet Drive with Harry. Also, you'll find out about this "conflict" Harry mentioned briefly. I'll start working on the chapter right away. Anyway...REVIEW PLEASE!


	8. Chickens and Conflicts

A/n: Thanks, guys, I got great feedback for the last chapter! I'm glad you guys liked it. I hope you'll like this chapter as much. Sorry that it took so long to update but school has been taking up a lot of my time.

Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to Figgy, who has put up with my obsessions and tears through the years and she still has her hairnet on. And to Padfoot, who has never given me a prankfest for being so damn "loony." I love you guys.

Disclaimer: Still don't own this...but if I get my grubby hands on it, I'll letcha know! Not that my hands are grubby.

Chapter 8: Chickens and Conflicts 

"So...what d'you wanna do?" Ron said, staring pointlessly out the window with his cheek plastered against the rough wood of the kitchen table. Ginny had just left for Privet Drive, which didn't please him one bit. He kept imagining his little sister and Harry...together. It was enough to make anyone shudder. He had hoped that by slamming his head continuously on the kitchen table he would rid himself of the horrid images. It didn't work. It just gave him a headache and a sensational way to look like an ass in front of Hermione.

Which made him think that maybe it wasn't such a bad idea that Ginny was away.

Not that he wanted to make an ass of himself in front of Hermione, but, given the circumstances, they _were _spending the day alone. And, as he had come to discover the previous year, being alone with Hermione wasn't quite as mortifying and downright unnerving as he pictured it would be. It was actually sort of...nice. He could even say some rational things without stuttering and looking very similar to a baboon's bum with his incessant blushing. No, he was really quite normal. Well, as normal as he could be around a girl like Hermione.

"....don't you think?" He heard Hermione's voice as a distant whisper in his reverie. He realized he hadn't listened to anything she had said before "don't you think?" He cursed himself mentally and said, "Er...sure...?" Even though he couldn't see her, he could tell she was giving him one of her pointed, annoyed looks. He held up a finger in front of what he hoped was her face. "Hey! Don't blow up on me, okay? I'm the one who's being traumatized by images of my sister and my best friend snogging." He shuddered.

Hermione slapped his finger down. "Sit up, or next time you'll put that finger up my nose."

Ron raised his head to look at her. "Ew," he said, making a face. "Who knows what could be lurking in there!"

The sides of Hermione's lips twitched as she kicked him under the table. "Very funny, genius." She rolled her eyes in a would-be irritated way and said, "Well, like I was saying while you weren't listening, I think we should sit outside. It's a beautiful day, the sun is shining, we're alive!"

Ron raised an eyebrow. "So?" He sniggered. "I'm just kidding," he said, grinning even more at the exasperated look on her face. "Okay, fine, we'll sit outside and breathe in the fresh scent of nature and be at one with all its beauty."

"Now you're mocking me. I can already tell you're mocking me."

"You're getting so good at that!" He grinned. "Aww, come on, why are you in such a pissy mood? Honestly, you're such a girl."

She narrowed her eyes. "All right. Have a good time spending your day alone because I'm not joining you." She stood up and stomped across the room to the kitchen door. Having lived at the Burrow for so long, Ron saw that it was locked, but he decided not to tell Hermione this when she didn't notice. She grabbed the doorknob and turned. When the door didn't open, she glared at it and tugged, making the door rattle. It did not, however, open. She kicked the door and sighed. Then she unlocked it and went out, slamming it behind her. Ron laughed and followed.

He hated to admit she was right. It _was _a gorgeous day out. He had just ruined it, unfortunately, by pissing her off. He ran to catch up with her and when he did, he grabbed both of her arms from behind and tugged her back. Again, without having to face her, he knew what she was doing; rolling her eyes.

"Ron, you push my buttons and then you expect me to be all happy and perky and friendly. You piss me off sometimes."

"Fine, okay, I'm sorry." He twisted her around to face him, her arms tangled around his. "See?" He gave her the saddest blue eyes he could muster and saw how it worked almost instantly. She nodded and said, "All right, you win. But I swear, if you piss me off one more time today—"

"You'll force me to take Millicent Bullstrode to the next ball or something horrible like that. Yes, I get it." He grinned and let go of her arms so they could walk. "Wanna go sit under that tree?" He pointed to the largest tree in his back yard, a shady oak tree. Hermione seemed satisfied and so they walked over and sat against its trunk.

Silence. Awkward silence. Ron hated when it snuck up on them like this. It didn't happen often, but when it did, it was uncomfortable and stupid. He fiddled with a piece of grass and slipped into thought mode.

He couldn't help but wonder when he was going to tell her. He should just come out with it one of these days. After all that was happening, he might not be around much longer. How could he be sure that tomorrow he'd be able to march up to her and tell her that she had been the object of his affection for the last three years, possibly four? He couldn't, that was the problem. He had to be a man and just say it.

But what if she was repulsed by the very prospect of it? What if she found him revolting and undesirable? What if she preferred Krum? What if she didn't even like him back??

That was possibly the worst aspect of it. That he would be rejected. He should have told her sooner, long before it got so out of hand. Now, all he could think about sometimes was Hermione, everything about her, from the way her eyes flashed when she was angry to the genuine laugh she gave when he said something amusing. He hated her for making him think about her so damn much. If only she—

"You know, I don't understand why you don't do excellent in school." Her voice again snapped him out of his deep thinking. He looked at her in mild surprise and said, "Huh?"

She chuckled. "You don't even realize it, do you? Heh...you think so much, Ron. I swear, you never stop thinking. That's why you drown me out so much. If you only used that brainpower on your schoolwork, you'd do so much better than you do now."

"Are you kidding me?"

"No! I—um, I was really proud of your O.W.L. scores. You and Harry were slacking off so much that I thought you would do awful on the test." Ron glared playfully at her. She smiled and added, "No offense." He grinned to let her know he understood and she continued. "Well, you proved me wrong. And I realized that I had forgotten one thing I said along time ago, back in first year. In magic, logic matters. And, being such a master chess player—"she allowed him a moment to puff out his chest in pride "—I guess you do have enough logic to come through when the time is necessary."

"Damn right." He ran a hand through his hair, making it sort of stick out in the back. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her bite back a smile. Smirking, he decided to be bold—to some extent, anyway. "Doesn't my hair look great like this?" He gave her a smug smile and she burst out laughing.

"Er, yeah, absolutely _ravishing_."

They shared a brief moment of laughter, but it was soon replaced by the deafening silence once more. He tried not to let his head turn in her direction (because then it would have been obvious that he was staring). He pretended to find a blade of grass to his left (where she was sitting) and used it as an excuse to tilt his head in a manner that left her in full view.

She was gazing through the leaves on the tree, looking through the gaps at the wimpy white clouds floating across the sky. A few rays of sunshine came through the spaces between the leaves. With the light hitting her face, he noticed something he hadn't noticed before. She had freckles. They were tiny brown points dotting the bridge of her nose. She blinked and her eyes moved slightly to the left, in direct contact with a ray of sun. He couldn't help the smile that played on his lips. Her eyes looked different. They were a lighter brown color, more of a shocking hazel that made her black pupils stand out. He was mesmerized.

"Your eyes look really cool in the sun."

He had said it without thinking. His eyes widened as she turned, taken by surprise. She moved her lips soundlessly for a moment and looked away. He saw her blink rapidly, as if she were trying to decide if he had been joking, but she managed to say, "Um...thank you."

How could he get out of this? "Well 'cause--'cause...um, they look light brown and um...I..."

She smiled. "I get it, Ron. Thanks for noticing. I always thought my eyes were kind of plain but I hadn't noticed how they look in the sun. I'll take your word for it."

He nodded. Unfortunately, he found himself at the end of the conversation yet again, and the silence screamed at him. How come it was so weird right now? Last year they had spent plenty of time alone together. Maybe it was that they knew they would be spending the entire _day _alone.

"Tell me something interesting or I'm going inside to do extra homework." Hermione was staring expectantly at him, waiting for him to interest her. He raised an eyebrow. "Why do _I _have to amuse you? Let's do this: you tell me something about you I don't know and I'll tell you something about me that you don't know."

She grinned. "Okay. Well...I don't know how to ride a bicycle." He could tell she had anticipated his hysterical laughter even before it had burst from his mouth. He couldn't contain it; it might be rude, but it was too funny to ignore.

Between gasps of laughter, he said, "Hermione, I knew you sucked at sports but...oh, this is precious." He didn't know if he was making her angry, but he frankly just wanted to laugh. He hadn't been able to laugh like this in such a long time.

She slapped him on the arm. He looked up, worried that maybe she was really pissed, but she was laughing too. "Yeah, I was just too scared to ever try it. I mean, it kind of...scared me." She allowed him to have some more laughing time before she continued. "All of the kids in my neighborhood would race down slopes without even holding on to the handles. And sometimes they wouldn't even be sitting on the bike! It just scared me, how careless they were."

Ron kept sniggering. He was loving this day so far. "All right, I'll keep my end of the compromise. Since you _can't _ride a bike—"he sniggered "—I'll tell you why I _can _ride one. When I was like 5 years old, my mum had lots of chicken. I mean _lots _of chickens. She had more chickens than there were gnomes, so you understand what I mean. The thing was, she loved those chickens. I'm not sure if you know this, but Mum has a problem; when she obsesses over something, she goes all out. That'll help you understand why we're having potatoes every night for dinner. Anyway, she was obsessed with those chickens. She let them sleep on blankets at night. It was kind of creepy. So one afternoon I was trying out Percy's bike. Dad had just un-bewitched it and brought it home for Percy, who was being a right little helper." He rolled his eyes. "I wanted to try it, so I ran around the backyard—and the chickens—trying to learn how to ride the thing. I was doing pretty well...until I ran over one of Mum's favorite chickens." Hermione grinned. She had a feeling this story was going to be much more amusing than hers. Ron nodded and continued. "I checked up on it. The damn thing was dead. I knew it was only a matter of minutes—maybe seconds—before my mother's instinct told her that one of her precious creatures had hit the dust. I got on the bike and tried my best to ride out of the backyard. Unfortunately for me—"

"You couldn't ride the bike and your mum found out before you could run away," Hermione said, biting back a grin.

"Exactly," Ron said in a would-be tragic voice. "She came out to make me wash up for dinner and saw me standing beside her dead chicken. I will never forget how much I feared for my life at that moment. If Mum had had a neon sign above her head, it would have been flashing 'DIE, RON, DIE.' So I jumped on that bike and pedaled like hell. I actually rode it, that's how scared I was. Mum followed me for a few minutes and she got tired so she quit. I pedaled for like 20 minutes, till I was far away from here." He gave her a triumphant grin.

Hermione furrowed her eyebrows. She raised a finger and said, "Wait a minute. What good did it do that you ran away? I mean, you would have to come back sometime and then—"

"Yeah, then I would get it. But I was only 5! I couldn't really think too clearly. So when I stopped to rest after riding for 20 minutes, I realized I had to go back home. And I did. The results have scarred me for life."

"What did your mum do? She's a forgiving person, I'm sure her punishment wasn't too horrible."

"No, Hermione, you don't understand, this was her _chicken. _I mean, it _was _an accident that I ran over it but...well, Mum saw red. She did the worst thing possible to punish me. She forbade me to eat any sort of candy for _two months_."

Hermione blinked as Ron held his head in his hands. Apparently, such a punishment was torture for him. "The worst part was, my brothers didn't even try to help. Fred and George would eat Chocolate Frogs right in front of me all the time." He shook his head. "It was the scariest two months of my childhood." He grinned. "Just laugh already."

She burst into giggles, laughing so hard that tears spurted out of her eyes. "You ran over her chicken!!" She kept on laughing for a while, clutching her stomach and wiping the tears that were rolling down her cheeks. After a while she said, "Oh, I really needed that...thanks, Ron." She leaned her head on his shoulder as she caught her breath.

Ron, however, had his breath knocked out the minute she did that.

It was such a simple act that made him feel like he was on fire. She kept her head on his shoulder even after she had stopped laughing. Her hair was falling over her face, preventing Ron from seeing her. Slowly, he pulled his hand up to tuck her hair behind her ear. He let his hand rest on her warm cheek for a second before bringing it back down.

When she did things like these, it felt like he had already told her. It felt like she felt the same way. It felt perfect. But he was sucked back into reality, knowing that she only did this because he was her best friend, and even though she might love him, she wasn't _in _love with him.

Not that he was saying he was in love with her. Only idiots fell in love. He remembered once when Charlie had come home heart-broken. He had been expecting to spend the rest of his life with his Hogwarts girlfriend, until, on his graduation day, she told him that she had never really loved him. So he had come home and locked himself in his room for a week, moping, until he finally came out and out of the blue decided he was going to work in Romania. Ron guessed Charlie had understood that love was for fools; look what it had done to him, Charlie Weasley, who had always been composed and smooth. It had destroyed him, even if it was for only a short while. When Ron saw that happen to his brother, he vowed he would not fall in love that easily, if he fell in love at all. Love was a deception of a person's imagination. And he wasn't going to let it happen to him.

But the way things were going with Hermione, he didn't know what to expect.

He looked at her hand, so small in her lap. He noticed something; she was wearing a ring. She hadn't been wearing that last year. He picked her hand up and brought it close to his eyes to look at the ring on her ring finger.

"Oh," he heard her say softly. She lifted her head from his shoulder and brought it closer, so they could both she the ring. She brought her hand up to where his held hers and touched the ring.

"You didn't wear a ring last year," he said. His tone wasn't accusatory or angry. He was just asking where she had gotten it. Although, inside, he was desperate to know if Krum had sent it to her before she'd come to the Burrow.

She smiled. "This summer, before I came over here, my mum gave me this ring. It used to be her. Her mum gave it to her when she was my age. It's not extravagant or expensive, but it's beautiful, and it has so much sentimental value. I love it." Ron noticed her smile was sad instead of joyful.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly, eyebrows furrowed.

She shrugged. "Whenever I look at this ring now, I think of my mum, and that makes me sort of melancholy. I mean, it makes me realize that I'm not around her and Daddy so much anymore. And with everything that's going on, I'm afraid I—or they—might not be around for much longer. I only spend a few weeks with them a year. They don't know what's going on in my life half the time. It's just hard." She sighed. "Trust me, Ron, you're lucky to have a family that is so close to you and loves you so much. I know my parents love me, but I'm just not around long enough to feel it as much as I'm sure you do." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked at him. "Never take that for granted."

"I won't." He was quite for a moment, and then thought of something. "But you should know that my family loves you and Harry as much as they love me. You guys are already part of the family, even if we're not necessarily related." _Not yet_. He grimaced inwardly. _Shut up, shut up, shut up! _

She gave him a small smile. "Thanks."

"Hey, you know what makes me relax? If you can find a swing set anywhere, go on it. When you're swinging, close your eyes. Or you can just sit there with your eyes closed and let the wind sway you. You forget about _everything_. It's great."

Before he could say anything else, she had thrown her arms around him. He patted her back and sat there stiffly before he actually relaxed into the hug, letting her keep her arms around his neck and her head buried into his shoulder. When she pulled back, she bit her lip and said, "Ron, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, anything."

"Okay, well, you know how we were telling each other something that we didn't know? I was just wondering...is there anything you _wouldn't_ tell me?"

Ron was taken aback by her question. How could he answer that? He could tell he was holding her breath. He wasn't about to lie to her, so he answered. "Um..." He averted his eyes. "There's one thing I wouldn't tell you." He knew her face expressed disappointment even though he didn't dare to look at her. "It's not because I don't _want _to tell you, because I do...it's just that I _can't _tell you. Does that make any sense?"

He looked up to see her staring at her hands. She shrugged and said, "Sure."

"Hey!" he said, and she looked at him. He took a deep breath and said, "You'll know, okay? You will. I promise."

Before she could acknowledge what he had said, Mrs. Weasley called, "Ron, could you be a dear and help me with lunch?"

Ron looked at Hermione for a few seconds before saying, "I'll be right there, Mum!" He stood up, giving Hermione's hand a squeeze, and walked towards the house, feeling more confused than he had the day before.

**END POV**

Hermione sat in the back of Mr. Weasley's borrowed car, staring out the window. She couldn't figure out what Ron had meant. Maybe he had developed an interest in someone—maybe one of her roommates!—and he didn't want to tell her. Or what if...but could he...maybe...could it be possible that maybe he had an interest in _her _and was too shy to tell her? That was _really _wishful thinking.

He was sitting right beside her at the moment. Mr. Weasley had asked if they wanted to come with him to pick up Ginny from Privet Drive and she had accepted, hoping to keep her mind off the happening of that afternoon. She was trying to relax, but she felt even more awkward having Ron sitting next to her and being swept in complete silence. They hadn't said a word to each other since they had left the house. She wasn't angry, she was just confused.

"All right, you two, we're here," Mr. Weasley said, pulling into the Dursleys' driveway. "Could you two go get Ginny for me? I'd rather not speak to those people."

Without answering, Ron and Hermione stepped out of the car, not bothering to tell Mr. Weasley that the Dursleys probably weren't home. Avoiding eye contact, they both walked towards the front door and tried ringing the doorbell at the same time. When their hands collided with each other, Hermione pulled hers back and let Ron push the little button.

They stood waiting for someone to open the door. After a few minutes, Ginny pulled open the door, standing next to a grim looking Harry. Hermione exchanged a worried glance with Ron, forgetting all about their afternoon talk. Something was wrong with Harry, and they both knew it.

Ginny bit her lip. She took Harry's hand and said, "Thanks for today, Harry." She leaned up and gave him a quick kiss. Hermione managed to hear her whisper, "And I hope you feel better." Ginny stepped out of the house and stood next to Ron, looking at the floor. Hermione looked at Harry and then at her, then back at Harry. She wasn't about to let this go without asking about it first.

"Harry, what's wrong?"

She distinctly saw him roll his eyes. "Nothing."

Shaking her head, she said, "No, I can read you like an open book. Something's wrong and I want you to tell me what it is."

"Hermione—"This had come from Ron, and his tone was full of warning.

"Ron, this is the reason he was so temperamental last year! Because he kept everything bottled up! Do you want him to keep it up? Not only is it stressful to him, it's stressful to _us_! Half the time we don't know what to because he won't tell us! I'm tired of it." She turned around. "Harry, can you please—"

"You are so nosy!" Hermione was taken aback by Harry's sudden shouting. "Last year all you did was lecture me about what I should and shouldn't do! You can't stop trying to control everything I do! I'm tired of it. I was pissed off at you but I put up with it because I thought sooner or later you would cut it out and go back to being my friend instead of an organizer. But you obviously still want me to do everything your way, because you always think you're right. That's it, Hermione. I've dealt with you long enough but I'm tired. Good-bye." And with that he slammed the door in her face.

Had he really just said what she thought he said? What did this mean? Hermione felt her heart stop and her blood freeze. Unless she was very much mistaken (and she usually wasn't), Harry was actually breaking ties with her. Just because she was concerned with what was happening in his life. He didn't want her to worry about his life and, what was worse, he didn't want her to be a part of his life.

Ron and Ginny stared open mouthed as Hermione gazed at the spot where Harry had been a moment before. She looked like she was in a trance. She was completely idle and she wasn't even blinking. After a few minutes, she nodded slowly. When she turned around, Ron noticed that her lower lip was trembling. He could tell she was trying very hard not to burst into tears. She bit her lip and then said, in a shaky voice, "Come on, you guys." Slowly, she made her way back to the car. Ron and Ginny glanced at each other.

This day had been nothing like they expected.

A/n: Well, what do you think? Please review!


	9. Strong Bonds

A/n: This took some time to update but, again, I apologize. School, as we all very well know, is time consuming and, er, a load of crapola but oh well. Don't fret, though, the next chapter will probably come pretty quickly because I'll have lots to write about. If you hate cliffhangers, I'll be absolutely _dead_ by the time you finish this chapter. That's all I'm saying. Yes, I know, I'm horrible...

Disclaimer: Don't own them but I luckily have the pleasure to do with them as I please

Chapter 9: Strong Bonds 

Ron glanced sideways at Hermione. Since the day before, upon their return from Privet Drive, the pained look had not left her eyes. He had never seen her more woebegone before, except perhaps in her third year. He had a feeling, however, that this was much worse. He knew, even though she had never spoken about the rough year she had had to bear, that no matter how terrible they had seemed to her, she had somehow known that Harry and Ron would come around.

But now...even he wasn't sure.

How could he judge Harry's feelings? There was no denying that Hermione had interfered somewhat the previous year. But Ron knew it had only been out of love and care for her best friend. And he had always assumed that Harry knew as much. He would have never guessed that Harry was harboring such abhorrent feelings for Hermione's fussing and meddling.

He had been pretty shocked himself to see Harry scream at her, complaining about how she had tried to take over his life, tried to tell him what was best for him, and ending the row with slamming the door in her face. Somehow, he understood that the slammed door symbolized so much to Hermione. It was like Harry was closing the door to his friendship and, possibly worse, his life, and Ron could sense without asking that these were the things that hurt Hermione the most about the argument, much more than the accusations and the deaf ears.

Now they both sat on the couch in the living room, waiting for Mrs. Weasley and Ginny. After their Hogwarts letters had come the evening before, Mrs. Weasley had suggested they visit Diagon Alley to buy their supplies. Ron had mentioned to her the fight Harry and Hermione had had, making sure to dismiss it as something casual so his mother wouldn't worry. He was relieved when she suggested that it could just be the three teenagers in the household to avoid Hermione feeling any discomfort.

It hurt Ron to see Hermione so devoid of an emotion other than agony. He knew he couldn't comfort her because he had no idea what to make of the situation. She had her chin on one hand, her elbow propped up against a cushion. She had her head slightly turned away from Ron, and she seemed to be in the same trance-like state she had been in the previous afternoon. No matter what he did, he could not grab her attention. And it was driving him mad.

He gave a frustrated sigh. Shaking his head, he said, "Hermione." She made no movement of recognition at the sound of her name. It was almost like she hadn't even heard him. Cautiously, he took her free hand in his and gave her a gentle shake, repeating her name. This time, her eyes glanced at him and gently withdrew her hand from his. With his patience at its end, he grabbed both her shoulders and forced her to turn to look at him. For a few moments, she kept her eyes down, not bothering to remove Ron's firm grip on her shoulders. After closing her eyes briefly, she slowly lifted her head to meet his gaze. She bit her bottom lip and without the slightest premonition, she threw her arms around his neck and buried her head into the nook between his shoulder and his head.

He gently rubbed her back and momentarily forgot about her sorrow. He couldn't help but revel in the—would he call it bliss?—that he felt whenever she did this. She'd never really hugged him until their fifth year, but by now she'd done it so much that he had forgotten the first time she'd actually done it. It didn't really matter, though; what mattered was that she _did _hug him now and then. He couldn't understand why neither of them had shared a hug before.

Shaking himself from his reverie, he pulled away from the hug. Looking at his best friend straight in the eye, he said, "Do you want to talk about it?" She sighed and nodded.

"I—it's completely ridiculous, isn't it? I should have said something." She was silent for a moment and then plunged on. "Harry...I thought Harry knew that I just nagged because I'm looking out for him. I know everyone else is but...they're in the Order, Ron, that's what they're _supposed _to do. I'm doing it because I want Harry to be around even after all this—this madness ends, you know? I have no idea how long it's going to take to sort this out. I'm completely devoid of solutions for it, because I don't know what to say to him. I don't think he meant this to be a 'forever' type of thing. But what it?"

Ron shook his head. "Well, what if I sprouted wings and flew away? Hermione, you shouldn't think about that stuff. I mean, come on, it's you and Harry. You two have been friends for a really long time and gotten through stuff. Harry just has...er, temper tantrums, kind of. I think it might have come out wrong. He might have said the wrong thing and not what he wanted to say. Just...don't think about it today. I know he'll come around, it'll be hard for him not to. But don't go nutters over it too much. Deal?"

Hermione nodded and gave him a small smile. "Deal."

The sound of Mrs. Weasley's voice made Hermione remove her hands abruptly from Ron's. They both turned to find Mrs. Weasley and Ginny standing at the bottom of the staircase, making sure to have all the Hogwarts letters. When Mrs. Weasley had shoved the pieces of parchment into her purse, she looked up at Ron and Hermione.

"Well, come on then," she said, walking towards the fireplace. "You've got everything you need with you, right?" Ron and Hermione nodded and joined Mrs. Weasley at the fireplace. Ginny stepped up beside them a moment later. "Right," Mrs. Weasley said, snatching the little flowerpot from the fireplace mantle. "I suppose you two want to do the shopping on your own?" she said, addressing Ron and Hermione. Ron nodded before Hermione could object. Mrs. Weasley gave Hermione a sympathetic smile and turned back to the fire. She snatched some Floo Powder from the little flowerpot before returning it to its place on the mantle. When she threw the powder into the flames, she waited for them to turn green and then allowed Ginny to step up and say "Diagon Alley!" The flames swallowed her up and she was gone. Mrs. Weasley did the same after her daughter, after saying to Ron and Hermione that they would meet in two hours time at Flourish and Blotts.

When Mrs. Weasley was gone, Ron motioned for Hermione to go first. She stepped into the green fire, but hesitated. Then she turned around and said, "Thanks, Ron. For everything." Then she leaned forward and did something she had only done once before. She placed her lips against his cheek, which immediately reddened. She gave him a small smile, turned back to face the flames, and with the words "Diagon Alley!" she was gone.

Ron lightly touched his cheek. He would never understand her. With that thought in his mind, he felt the whirl of air pulling him towards her, towards Diagon Alley.

**END POV**

It had been over an hour since they had arrived at Diagon Alley. They had collected all their books and necessities and were now walking briskly along the crowded streets of the wizarding place. Hermione had livened up greatly after what Ron had said to her. She had disposed of the silent sadness in her eyes, although he knew she still felt it. However, she was taking care not to show it, and it was helping her relax a bit.

"Oh, Ron, look!" she said all of a sudden, grabbing his arm and pointing to a sign over a new shop in the Alley. Ron's jaw dropped. On the sign, it said "Weasley Wizard Wheezes."

"They really _did _open the bloody joke shop," he murmured. After a moment, a smirk full of pride that he would never admit to settled on his features. "And to think that they couldn't even bother to buy their favorite little brother one of those wicked dragon-hide jackets." He shook his head. "Shame."

Hermione laughed weakly. "Now you're starting to sound like them."

Ron grinned. "So that's three of my brothers that are working here in Diagon Alley."

Hermione nodded. "I'm sure Bill enjoys being here closer to his family. I imagine that's why he took the time to visit a couple of weeks ago...with Fleur," she said, with a hint of bitterness in her tone as she mentioned Fleur.

Ron shrugged. "I guess he likes it but I suppose he misses Egypt. He's pretty attached to that place. It's kind of like how we miss Hogwarts during the summer holiday."

"Bur Hogwarts is different. It's not our job."

Ron shrugged again. "Sometimes it feels like it is."

Hermione bent her head and Ron mentally cursed himself. He had given her a reason to think about Harry. Trying to make the best of what he had said, he put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him and he knew she didn't blame him for saying what he had said, that she agreed with him. But before she could say anything, a sickeningly familiar voice startled them.

"Well, fancy that...Granger and Weasley." Draco Malfoy stood before them, his malicious eyes glaring at them with the utmost contempt. A smirk settled on his pale lips as he raised his eyebrows. "I would have thought you two would have been a little smarter. Maybe not you, Weasley, but definitely Granger. I guess you're just not much without your books, are you?" He laughed. "You two have less common sense than Potter."

"What's that supposed to mean?" growled Ron, his voice dangerously low. Worry crossed Malfoy's pointed face for a fleeting instant, but soon it was replaced by his usual smug expression. It infuriated Ron, and it was all he could do to prevent himself from connecting his fist with Malfoy's nose.

"Come on, Weasley. With what happened in June, I'm surprised you're not clinging to your mummy for protection. After all..." He lowered his voice to a murmur and at this, Hermione took a step back. "You never know who could be lurking in the dark corners of this pathetic place." Ron kept his face as neutral as he could. He was not going to give Malfoy the satisfaction of knowing that that was the very thing that he had worried about whenever he went out, especially if Hermione was with him. After all, she was a Muggle-born, and there was no denying that they were the first targets, other than Harry, on the Death Eaters' list.

To Ron's surprise, Hermione spoke up. "Don't be stupid, Malfoy. I know it's hard for you, but think. Do you honestly believe that we'll eat up all that—that crap you're saying? Please. You're just bitter that your father is rotting in Azkaban."

At the mention of Lucius Malfoy, Draco's eyes lit up with rage. He shoved Ron aside and stepped towards Hermione, until he was very close to her. Ron was about to lunge at him but Hermione held up a hand. Malfoy walked up to her, his eyes flickering to Ron. With his nose almost touching hers, he said, "Don't speak about things you don't know, Granger. You might be surprised. You've been locked up with Weasley doing who knows what for the past few weeks. You have _no _idea what's happening around you." His voice was so low Ron could tell it was unnerving her. He wanted to do something, but he was curious about what Malfoy would say. After all, he did have a big mouth that had given his father away on other occasions, and Ron was willing to bet this would be no different. Malfoy continued. "You won't be ready. And they'll strike. They'll hit you—and Weasley—where it will hurt the most...and where you least expect it."

Hermione was trying to hide the fact that he was scaring her, but it was very evident. "Empty threats, Malfoy. That's all they are to me." Her voice was shaking, and Malfoy noticed.

He laughed. "Shame that you had to be a Mudblood," he said, leaning closer still towards her, so that his breath was on her face. Then he did something that made Ron absolutely livid. He brought his hand up to her cheek and touched it slowly. Ron saw Hermione shudder slightly at his touch. "You're starting to be sort of...pretty." He turned his head toward her ear and got as close as he could without touching her. He whispered in her ear, loud enough for Ron to hear, "Maybe there's a way I could convince Father to do away with only Weasley and Potter. Then I'd keep you as...let's call it a prize."

Ron's patience was at its end. In one swift movement, he grabbed Malfoy by the collar and pinned him against the wall of the nearest shop, earning a gasp from quite a few people nearby. Ron's jaw was clenched and his eyes held such hate that Hermione had only seen in Harry's whenever Bellatrix was mentioned. Ron brought his face close to Malfoy's and said, "Don't _ever _touch her again, Malfoy. If you do, I'll personally see to it that my hands wring every last breath from your body." With that said, he threw him against the wall and allowed him to crumble to the ground. Then he walked back to Hermione and stood beside her. Malfoy regained his breath on the ground before standing and brushing the dust off his expensive black robes.

"How very touching...you two make such a sweet couple," he said, sarcasm all too evident in his drawling voice. The smirk that had been on his face was replaced with a look of absolute malevolence. "Too bad you won't live to develop the budding romance. I suggest you watch your backs. But even if you do...you'll pay. You'll all pay for what you did to my father."

And he turned on his heels and stomped off, his robe billowing behind him, leaving Ron and Hermione to think about what he had said.

"The bastard did it to himself!" Ron bellowed after Malfoy's retreating back. His breathing was uneven for a few seconds, but the minute he recovered himself, he put a protective arm over Hermione's shoulders and said, "Malfoy can only talk a load of bullshit. Come on. We should head to Flourish and Blotts."

Hermione nodded and they both began to walk. But Malfoy's words echoed in her head._ Too bad you won't live to develop the budding romance. _And as the words resounded in her head, she gently shrugged Ron's arm off her shoulder. She was willing to risk her life and her future if it meant putting an end to the pain Voldemort and his followers were causing. But she was not willing to risk Ron. And if that meant that they couldn't take their relationship any further, she would have to make that sacrifice.

**END POV**

"Harry." Hermione's statement initiated a silence only broken by her bag of supplies dropping with a loud _clunk _to the floor of the living room at the Burrow. Upon their return from Diagon Alley just a few seconds before, they had entered to find Harry pacing near the fireplace. The minute Hermione had seen him, her jaw had dropped and panic rushed to her face.

Ron couldn't help but cringe internally when he saw Harry at his house. This was either a visit with the purpose of making sure Hermione understood that he no longer wanted her as a friend or he wanted to apologize. He sincerely hoped it was the latter of the two.

Harry looked like a deer caught in the headlights. His eyes were wide as they stared around at the three Weasleys and Hermione. Ron drank in the disheveled hair and the wrinkled clothes and he knew that his row with Hermione had hit him as hard as it had hit her. He hoped this was a sign that he didn't want to fight anymore.

Mrs. Weasley broke the deafening silence. "Er...hello Harry dear. To what do we owe the pleasure?" Ron silently thanked his mother but it was evident that her delight was somewhat forced. Ginny looked from him to Harry and back to him, and the siblings exchanged worried glances. She tried to tell him something using only her eyes and slight movements of her head, but Ron was distracted by the sight of Hermione, still staring at Harry with fear etched on her young face.

Harry ran a hand through his hair. "Um, actually, Mrs. Weasley, I was hoping to have a talk with—with Hermione." He said this without lifting his gaze from the floor, avoiding any eye contact whatsoever with Hermione.

"I see..." Mrs. Weasley said softly. "Well, we'll leave you two alone, then."

Ron saw Hermione react immediately at this statement. "What?"

"I think it's best if you and Harry talk in private," Mrs. Weasley said, giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Ron touched her elbow and she turned to look at him. He leaned close to her so only she could hear him. "Don't worry," he whispered. "It'll be okay. Just tell him everything and you guys will sort it out." Hermione nodded and stepped away from him.

Because his first priority was having his best friends speaking to each other, he did not let his frustration show. But Hermione's sudden change of character was bothering him. After their encounter with Malfoy, she had avoided showing any signs of affection that she normally displayed...and she stepped away every time he touched her. He didn't understand what had changed the way she acted towards him but, whatever it was, he didn't like it.

Shaking these thoughts out of his head, he nodded at Harry and gave him a look that said, "Do the right thing." Then, with one last glance at his best friends, he followed his mother and sister out of the room and closed the door behind him.

**pov shift**

Hermione didn't look up when she heard the door close. She felt so alone now, so vulnerable. She knew she would not be able to convince Harry that she had nagged him incessantly just because she wanted him to be safe. Harry was stubborn, and she knew that he would try but fail to understand.

Harry's sigh made her look up. He was staring at her with no readable emotion. She bit her lip and waited for him to speak. When he didn't, she said in a soft but nevertheless firm tone, "Why didn't you tell me before?"

Looking determined, Harry drew in a shaky breath before answering. "I...I didn't want to hurt your feelings."

Without thinking, Hermione flicked her gaze up to look at him. "Well, you certainly weren't very good at that, from what I heard yesterday," she snapped. Immediately, she wished she hadn't. Harry groaned and walked away from her.

"I knew this would be hard with you...you're _making _it be difficult," he said in frustration.

Hermione's first instinct was to apologize for being so crude but her initiative self-defense kicked up. "How am I making this difficult? I'm not the one who blew up all of a sudden with no sort of warning!"

Harry whipped around and pointed a finger at her. "Okay. You are going to sit down there—"he pointed to a small armchair near the fireplace, "—and you are going to listen to what I have to say to you and you are not going to interrupt because this is important. Understood?"

Hermione almost defied his orders but the authority he had suddenly demonstrated took her by surprise and she obediently sat down and looked up at him, waiting for him to speak.

He sighed and looked at her, never taking his eyes from her. "First of all, I'm sorry," he started. "I'm sorry for chewing you out unexpectedly and I'm sorry for not telling you that you were bothering me. I'm sorry for being so inconsiderate." He stopped to stare at Hermione's satisfied smile. "I'm not done, so don't start assuming that you were right all along because I do have points to prove, and they make sense.

"Look, one of the reasons I blew up on you yesterday was because I found my mum's old photo album. It had some pictures of when she was a child, and you have to understand that I never knew her. I was feeling pretty bad because it hit me so hard, knowing that my mother was gone and I never got a chance to talk to her or ask her for advice. And that's when I started thinking that it was my fault she was gone. Her and my dad and...and Sirius. And the moment I thought about Sirius, I remembered how you had told me not to go to the Department of Mysteries, that it could just be a trap because Voldemort knows how I 'love to play the hero.' I realized if I had listened to you, Sirius would be alive, that you were right, that if I hadn't rushed to the Department without careful thinking, Sirius would still be with us. And I got so mad. Damn, Hermione, you're always right. The fact that you were right and I was wrong basically killed Sirius. _That's _what made me so angry, whether it be at you or at myself or at both.

"And then there's the fact that it always felt like you just woke up and started telling me what to do and what not to do. It felt like you were trying to run my life, and I managed to keep my temper at bay for a while, but my patience ran out, and it happened to be yesterday, when the weight of what I just told you fell on me out of nowhere.

"So I apologize for being so harsh and for not letting you know exactly why I was so angry." With a deep sigh, Harry finished and collapsed into the sofa next to Hermione's armchair.

Hermione stared at her hands for a few minutes. She understood perfectly why Harry had acted the way he had. Now she was just glad they were going to be able to sort it out.

"I understand. I mean, I—I don't suppose I do. And I shouldn't have pretended like I did, or like everything was perfectly fine. I guess sometimes it's just hard to believe it. But you should know all about that..." She let her voice trail away and sucked in a shaky breath. "Look. We're not good at apologizing to each other. With you and Ron and me, it's always been that things can be corrected easily. We don't have to give each other speeches about how we'll stick together through everything and things like that. But, honestly, Harry. You saved me from a mountain troll when I was eleven. There's no way that pointless arguments will ever manage to get between us permanently. So of course you're forgiven. But _I'm _sorry for being so...thoughtlessly reckless." She smiled tentatively and hugged him.

Harry smiled as he hugged her back. "I forgive you. And, you're right, stuff isn't gonna come between us too easily. I'll be there when you get that Hogwarts diploma and when the whole world recognizes how brilliant you are. I'll be there whenever we manage to get you on a broom. I'll be at your wedding—and at Ron's, of course, although I daresay those won't be two separate ones." Hermione pulled back and gave him a stern look, although she couldn't muster a good one. He laughed and said, "I'll be here for you. I swear I will. As long as I can, I'll be here."

The friends grinned at each other. The moment Harry finished speaking, the door from the kitchen burst open and Ron and Ginny rushed out. Ginny rushed towards Harry and when she reached him, she threw her arms around him so hard that he was almost knocked backward. Ron wasn't exactly as extravagant and enthusiastic as Ginny. He went to where Hermione was sitting and said, "So is everything resolved?" When she gave him a dazzling smile of joy, his face split into a grin that mirrored her own. Then he turned to Harry and clapped him on the back. "I'm glad to know that you guys are okay. I was worried there for a moment."

Harry stood up and offered Hermione his hand to help her up. The four teenagers walked in the direction of the kitchen, Ginny's arm around Harry's waist, a smile again on Hermione's face. She couldn't believe how happy she felt. To think that a few hours before, close to nothing would make her crack a smile. Now she had Harry back, and she knew that he cared about her as much as she cared about him. For now, everything felt perfect.

Too perfect.

Which might explain why she, along with all the others, was startled to see Moody rush through the front door, dread and exhaustion etched across his deformed features. His normal eye was almost as wide as his magical eye, which demonstrated quite clearly the state of shock he was in. His hair was disheveled, his face was dirty, and beads of sweat glittered on his temple. Worst of all, there was a long, blood cut on his disfigured cheek. Hermione stopped abruptly, and the others followed suit.

Something was wrong.

Hermione's heart was pounding so hard she half expected it to burst through her chest at any moment. The Moody standing before them was quite different from the Moody they were used to seeing. Moody was always calm and collected. This Moody...he looked on the edge of a nervous breakdown.

Ron obviously was thinking the same thing she was. Concern etched on his face, he stepped forward and said, "What's going on, Mad-Eye?"

Moody looked too shaken to answer. After a moment of silence, he said, "Where's your mother?" He said this all very quickly in a demanding, desperate tone. "You'll know soon enough, but first, your mother..."

Ginny straightened up as Harry stepped away from her and walked up to Moody. "We don't want to know _soon_. We want to know _now_."

Moody sighed. "Very well...if you so desire. Where is Molly?!"

"What's all the ruckus about?" said Mrs. Weasley herself, walking hurriedly out of the kitchen. She drank in the state Moody was in and said, "Mad-Eye? Is everything all right?"

There was a long silence. It was deafening. It screamed warning, peril, bad news. It made Hermione want to clap her hands over her ears so she wouldn't have to listen to the awful silence, such loud silence...

Then Moody said something, in a whisper that seemed no louder than the rustle of the wind on an autumn afternoon, that made Hermione's blood freeze in her veins. He said something that made Ginny gasp, Mrs. Weasley faint, and Harry choke for breath. He said something that made Ron's hand go limp, a hand cold with sweat, so cold it felt like the life had been sucked out of him. The three words that Moody uttered would change Ron forever.

"Bill is dead."

A/n: .......review!!!


	10. Broken Lives

A/n: Reactions for the cliffhanger were what I expected, minus the throwing of heavy objects at my head. Someone asked if I would continue this story with a sequel and the answer is yes. Also, there is one chapter after this one so the sequel is coming soon. At the end of the previous chapter, I know some of you were going "Wait...HOW?" Well, this chapter will explain everything. I hope you guys like it.

Disclaimer: Writing all mine!....Characters not mine...=(

**Chapter 10: Broken Lives**

Moody's words resonated in Ron's head. They penetrated every fiber of his mind. With all his might, he tried to make those words coherent, but still they seemed like a cruel joke. His oldest brother's face flashed a million times before his eyes. All feeling left his body and every part of him focused on Bill, and finally the meaning behind the words hit him, a harsh stab at every piece of his heart.

With the pain blazing inside of him, his blurred vision cleared and he managed to look around. Moody had caught his mother when she had fainted. His face still looked dark and troubled, frustrated and helpless. He didn't take his eyes off Molly and called her name softly, so as to not startle her when she came to. Harry was holding Ginny, who had her face buried into his chest. Ron could make out her shaking shoulders and he could tell she was sobbing. Not hysterically, but sobbing nonetheless. Harry's eyes were wide with fear and what Ron already recognized as guilt. His unblinking stare was unnerving, and he didn't move save for the arm that was stroking Ginny's back.

A jolt of electricity in his upper arm made him realize Hermione was leaning limply against him. She had her head down, but even so he could see her bottom lip trembling uncontrollably, and in a bizarre way, he felt the suppressed sobs inside her. It was scary how he could feel what was going on inside her but had no idea what kind of turmoil was taking place within him.

This wasn't even rational. It didn't make any sense. He had just seen Bill a few weeks ago, he had been sitting at the kitchen table, they had been talking, looking at each other. Just that day he had been so close to him at Diagon Alley, just a few minutes' walk away. And now he was just gone. His brother would never return. He was suddenly filled with unexplained hostility for Moody, anger that surged out of nowhere amongst the trouble that was filling up every part of his body and soul.

"How can you even say something like that?" he said, in a low voice that sounded more like a growl. Ginny stopped her shuddering gasps for a moment, and an awkward silence followed the first words spoken since Moody had announced that Bill was dead. Harry looked alert, even though he did not look at Ron. Hermione breathed in and said, "Ron..."

"I want to know what you find so funny about barging in here and—and scaring us all half to death," Ron said. When he said the last word, his eyes clouded. Moody kept staring at Molly's face even though it was evident that he was listening intently to every word that Ron spoke. Ron found his breath coming in hard and fast now, as he waited for Moody to tell him that he was just playing a prank on them. He even half-expected Moody to be one of the twins. They'd taken Polyjuice, they'd come and tried to have some fun, that was all, they were so thoughtless sometimes. _Answer, Moody. _His mind urged the Auror to put his fears to sleep, begged him to restore calm to a household that had suddenly become gripped by fear and suspense, filled with a sense of not knowing what to believe. _Answer...answer me! _"ANSWER, DAMMIT!"

His words were yelled, but his voice dripped with anxiety and panic. Moody looked up, and for the first time, Ron found both eyes staring fixedly at him, wide and alarming. The minute he met Moody's gaze, he knew this was no joke. Moody was not lying. It was true.

Bill was really dead.

Pain unlike he had ever felt swelled up in Ron's chest, threatening to burst through his lungs and rob him of all possibility of breathing. His eyes darted across Moody's face, as if trying to find a plausible explanation for such a harsh blow. When he found none, he felt something he hadn't felt in a very long time.

He found a thin wet trail on his freckled cheek, cold and wet, plastered against his skin, a minor description of the way he was breaking apart inside. His lips parted and a choked sob escaped them. He felt his eyelids quiver as suppressed tears threatened to fall, only to do so a moment later. He was numb; he couldn't feel his very own heart beat, just the slow tears trickling from his eyes, down his cheeks, tasting bitter when they reached his mouth. He made no more noise, just stood and stopped trying to hold back the tears.

A sharp knife of guilt suddenly stabbed at his heart. Why hadn't he gone to see him? They would have been there in a moment, and he would have gotten a chance to talk to him about his new job and about life in general. He had been his role model, and his friend. When he could have been with his oldest brother, he'd been off prancing around focusing on spending time with Hermione. That had felt nice back then, but right now, when he knew her to be standing so close to him, he could feel life coursing through her, and he knew she was still here. But Bill wasn't, and he wouldn't be ever again. He was gone. For good.

With that painful thought, he crumpled to the ground and cradled his head in his hands, keeping his mouth tightly shut so no sobs could he heard. His tears dropped into his hands, and as he pressed his hands even closer to his face, his tears spread past his cheeks, to his forehead and chin, until his entire face was wet and contorted with pain. How was he supposed to wipe all those tears away, how, they were everywhere...

He felt a hand on his back, and he knew who it was without having to look back at her, without having to hear her voice. His mother had come to, and now her palm felt cold against the heat of his back. He knew it was her, and he felt strengthened by her presence, but the ever present knowledge of having lost Bill forever still had power over him. He half tore at his face, trying to get it dry and failing.

He let his mother turn him towards her and accepted her comforting embrace, ducking his head under her chin and letting his never-ending tears splash onto the skin on her neck and soak the collar of her shirt. Through his tears poured all the darkness and fears that had been inside him for so long, unnoticed but present. He had never thought it was possible to express so much emotion by just crying, but that was exactly what he was doing. He had had so much pent up all these years. All he needed was a trigger, and Bill's death had certainly set him off. This had been the last thing he had expected, yet it had happened, and now, he didn't know what to think.

After what seemed like hours of lying in his mother's arms, like when he was just a small child, Ron pulled away, shielding his wet and flushed face from everyone with his equally wet hands. He knew Ginny was still sobbing quietly; he could hear her. Harry wasn't making a sound, but Ron knew he was watching him with helplessness. And Hermione...he could feel her eyes boring into his back, watching intently as he moved, sensing every tear and every gasp. How he knew this was beyond him, but he knew it, and he knew when she walked towards him, and he sensed when she knelt before him. She placed her hands over his and brought them away from his face. He saw her eyes wet with tears, so that they blurred the brown and white in them. He didn't even try to hide his current state from her, because she didn't care, and she made it clear. Then she did something simple yet it meant the world to him. She gave him a hug, and it wasn't a sign of anything more than friendship. It was just a way of telling him that, even though she couldn't sympathize with him, she would be here for him, and he understood that.

When she released him from the hug, he wiped his eyes, no longer caring who saw him. His breathing was becoming slightly more normal, although now and then a gasp shook his entire body. Hermione sat next to him on the ground, and Mrs. Weasley stared at her hands in her lap. Ron noticed she wasn't crying. With a pang and tug at his heartstrings, he realized this was too much for her, and crying wouldn't even begin to sum up all the hurt inside her.

After all the silence, it was Harry who spoke, in a choked and forced voice. "What—how did it happen?" When Harry voiced his question, Ron realized that they really did have no idea what had brought the misfortune upon them. Everyone looked at Moody for clarification.

The old Auror sighed. "I'm sorry, Molly. And Ron. I mean, all of you. I'm not sure it's wise to talk about it now. You should all get some rest and—"

"We need to hear it. Now. And you shouldn't feel guilty about telling us," Ron said, finding his voice muffled and emotionless. Hermione had jumped slightly when she heard him speak, and he himself had been startled at his ability to talk after what he'd just gone through.

Moody gave Ron a look full of pity but also the utmost admiration. With a slight nod, he began to speak. "Two hours ago, Diagon Alley was as normal as usual; wizards and witches shopping, Hogwarts students gathering their school supplies, as you were a few hours ago. An hour ago, Diagon Alley was a living hell. It was mad chaos. Fires burning, people running, screaming everywhere."

"Why?" said Harry, his brow furrowed. It seemed like he already anticipated the answer.

A dark look settled over Moody's face. "Death Eaters."

"Oh, shit." Harry's simple statement voiced what they were all thinking. Ron saw Harry walk over to the couch and sit down, cradling his head in his hands. He could tell he was already blaming himself. Ginny looked like she might keep crying forever but at the same time angrier than Ron had ever seen her. "What did they do?" she said, in a low and dangerous voice.

"Caused a disaster. Their sole point is to strike fear of the Dark Lord. Well, they certainly achieved that."

"Wait a minute. Which Death Eaters? There were only a few left after they were caught at the Department of Mysteries in June. How can such a short number cause so much chaos?" Harry asked.

"That's just it, Potter. It wasn't a few of them. The ones who were locked up in Azkaban escaped this morning. By the time word had gotten around, the Death Eaters had already reached Diagon Alley. And they'd already caused enough damage for a blown out disaster." Everyone groaned the minute Moody told them about the escaped Death Eaters.

"What happened to Bill, Alastor?" Mrs. Weasley spoke for the first time. Ron glanced over at her and saw that she still had her head lowered. Instinctively, he reached out and held her hand, and even though she was stiff at first, her hand relaxed in his.

Moody ran a hand through his mangled hair. "The Death Eaters' main target was Gringotts. We had two goblin survivors. That's the only way we've been able to acquire all the information we have so far. What happened was that the Death Eaters marched into Gringotts trying to convince the goblins to join the Dark Lord in this war. Naturally, they refused. And upon their refusal, the Death Eaters attacked. They of course fought back, and among the fighters was Bill. He definitely fought for long, judging from all the charm and spell marks on his body, but he couldn't repel an Avada Kedavra spell sent his way. We have no way of knowing which Death Eater did it."

Harry shook his head. "This is bullshit. What's the point of war? Neither side is going to gain much anyway, besides death and destruction. How many more people are we going to lose in order to end this?" He grabbed the nearest cushion and sunk his fist fiercely into it. "There's no point! There are people dying and there isn't a damn thing we can do to stop it!"

"Harry, you can't blame yourself for this..." Hermione said, in attempt to comfort. Harry shot her a warning look and Hermione closed her mouth. Ron could tell she knew the same thing he did: Harry was already blaming himself, and there was no way anyone could convince him that he had no fault in the death of his brother.

"How can you think this isn't my fault? Would we even be having this war if it weren't for me? You know, if what it takes to end all this is for me to give in to Voldemort, I might as well. It's one thing when I lose someone who's close to me, but when it someone else's family, a family that has become closer than any I could ever have, then that's too much."

Ron stood up. Everyone immediately froze, startled to see a Ron so different from the feeble one he'd been just minutes before. He turned around and looked at his best friend closely in the eye. Harry never blinked, and neither did Ron, and it was impossible to tell what was being communicated with such an intent gaze. Ron felt all of Harry's guilt against his own chest, and felt pity for his best friend, but he knew what he was about to tell him would erase most of the fault he felt in his heart.

"You know how much it hurts. You know how impossible it is to describe it. Because you've been through it more than once and each time has been more painful than the other. You've had to recover from something like this more than once and you know how hard it is. You say we've become a family to you. Guess what, Harry? You're the only kid in our family without red hair. You _are _family. Do you know what we would do if I lost you _and _Bill? We'd all be going mad. We'd have to deal with all this pain _twice_. So don't even think about giving up and throwing yourself at Voldemort. Even if he weren't after you, we'd still be fighting this war, because this isn't about just you being persecuted by him. This is about a power-hungry maniac who will do anything, go to any lengths to achieve total sadness and—and devastation, and he just wants to wipe out any good. You just happen to be one of his major obstacles. He thinks he can take you down. And he is going to try. But we're here, to fight for you, with you. And if you were gone, there would not much else left to do." He looked away so he wouldn't break down again. "I can't believe Bill is gone. But he is. The only way I'll—we'll get through this is if you're there to help us and guide us. I'll be damned if you give yourself to him. I've never felt more hatred towards someone, but because of him your parents, your godfather, and my brother are dead!" His voice was quivering now, and he knew he could not continue. At the same moment, the friends stepped towards each other and embraced, giving each other the strength that they both lacked.

"Ron." Moody's voice made Ron release Harry and rub his wet eyes. He turned to look at Mad-Eye, waiting for him to say whatever he had wanted to say. Moody was shaking his head and staring at the ground. "Boy, I don't know if you've had all of that in you all this time and you've suddenly found it or what, but that is the wisest speech I've heard a young person like yourself give." He stood up, walked over to Ron, and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "You're right. Your brother, Black, Harry's parents, Diggory...they're just a few of the many we've lost and are going to lose. But we have to keep fighting, like your brother. Bill died to protect the Death Eaters and Dark Lord to gain more supporters—soldiers—so we could have a chance against them, so we could fight and work to get rid of the Dark Lord, and stop all the killings. I swear to you that your brother did not die in vain."

Ginny walked over to where her closest brother stood and she took his hand, entwining her fingers in his. "Bill was a great person. And he loved us. He would've rather died than put us in harm's way. I don't want to think he's gone." She dropped Ron's hand and put her arms around him. "We'll get through this, Ron," she said soflty, pulling away from him.

Ron nodded. He gave Moody a respectful nod and wrapped an arm around him sister. "I'm sure we will."

**END POV**

It had been less than a week since the death of Bill Weasley. There had been a sort of silent numbness over the Burrow, a place that was usually full of life. It gave Hermione chills up and down her spine to walk around the quiet house, suddenly empty and lifeless. Over the past few days, she had barely spoken to Ron, and she missed him. But she understood his distance. The feeling of helplessness had increased dramatically ever since, because now not only could she not sympathize with Harry, but she also couldn't give Ron any comfort. That's why it didn't surprise her that Harry spent most of his time during the day with either Ron or Ginny. With Ron, he would just sit, occasionally poking fun at how Bill had ended up with Fleur rather than Ron, and Ron would smile sadly. But most of the time they just sat together. When Harry was with Ginny, he'd usually sit with her in his arms, and sometimes she would cry a little but never sob, for it seemed she loved Bill too much to express it.

It was during the times that Harry was with Ginny that she found Ron alone, usually sitting by his bedroom window, staring out and not really seeing anything. She felt an invisible hand squeeze her heart as she pictured Harry in the same predicament just a few weeks before. But slowly the image of Ron's downhearted, idle frame settled before her. It became fixed in her mind every time she passed his room, the door ajar, the room itself a complete mess.

She wanted now, more than ever, to talk to her mother. What was she supposed to do? She couldn't try to talk to Ron because she had no idea what to say. Showing him her pity wouldn't help much; it would only bring back the instant when Moody's words rang out in the empty room. Limply, she walked down the stairs to Ginny's room, and once there, closed and locked the door. She needed to be a lone, to think.

Slowly, she walked to her summer bed and threw herself face down upon it. She took a deep breath and smelled the soft wool of the bed sheets. She loved this house. The Weasleys were to her, like Harry, another family, one that she could be with when she was so distant from her actual one. Of course, Ron was different than family in her eyes, and at this thought she felt her cheeks grow hot. But never mind that momentarily. One question tugged incessantly at the back of her mind.

Why hadn't she ever bothered to get to know Bill, just a little?

The little time she and Harry had spent around him had been great. Bill was a charismatic person, able to make her sit on the end of her seat with stories about Egypt. He was a great guy. And a nasty voice inside her insisted that she should have tried to be better friends with him, because now she never would be able to.

_It's not my fault. _It really wasn't. Bill was so far away most of the time; his family only saw him every so often. But when they did, they were warm and gentle, and she had been friendly with him when they met. As she thought about it, she suddenly realized how different yet alike Bill was in everyone's mind. To Ginny, he was an idol, the cool brother, the one who would be overprotective but at the same time, understanding. To Mrs. Weasley, he had been an ambitious son who always welcomed the open embrace of family and home. To Harry, he had been a friend who had been kind enough to travel to Hogwarts to support him during the fourth task, even though they didn't know each other well. To Ron...to Ron he was a friend and role model. Hermione could tell that Ron greatly admired Bill, for being so strong but such a sensitive person at the same time. She closed her eyes to prevent them from welling up. She couldn't even imagine how empty Ron must feel. Having lost someone who he wanted to be like, who he'd respected as his older brother and friend, must have been a fatal blow.

Hermione had respected Bill, even though she really didn't have much chance to get to know him. But she respected him for being so involved with his family. She smiled as she remembered a summer night, two long years before, when Mrs. Weasley had fingered his long ponytail and longingly mentioned how she'd have loved to just "trim" it. Hermione had a hunch that Bill had kept his ponytail out of affection for his mother, because it must have reminded him of her every time he looked in the mirror. Like she'd thought before, Bill didn't have much time to visit his family. But he was still in a way so involved with them. He'd been aware of the times when Ginny and Ron started attending Hogwarts, and he'd known what house they had been in. He was a devoted son and brother. It was depressing to think what a great father he would have made.

That thought made Hermione immediately feel for someone she'd never thought she would: Fleur Delacour. She disliked her greatly for very selfish reasons, but Fleur had been quite smitten with Bill. But now he was gone, just when things must have been becoming a little more serious for them.

Cruel irony suddenly made its way into her thoughts. How terrible was it, that she had managed to get along quite well with the brother who gave up his family for ambition, rather than the brother who gave himself up for his family and the world he know.

And now there were all these empty spaces left in so many people over one death. It was becoming unbearable to think what sort of devastation could be caused by more than one. It shouldn't, couldn't happen.

Heaving a great sigh in hopes of relieving the burdens from her mind, Hermione stood and left the room. Leisurely, she made her way to Ron's room, each step striking unsure and helpless feelings inside her. But she was determined to help her best friend in some way, even if it meant just sharing a simple hug.

Before she knew it, the same vision of Ron sitting at his window was before her, and she almost couldn't speak. Taking a deep breath, she knocked softly on the door to draw his attention. His head didn't move, but his eyes left the window and settled on her. With his lips barely parted, he said, "Hi."

Hermione walked over and sat down beside him. "Hi," she said, in a soft calm voice quite unlike the one she suspected would come out of her mouth.

Ron nodded although she hadn't said anything else, and turned his gaze away from hers. Hermione bit her lip and tried again. "You know, I—I was thinking that I never got to know Bill...and...I don't know, I suppose I was hoping you—could tell me a bit about him. You knew him pretty well. And he loved you."

To her dismay, she saw Ron's bottom lip tremble. But the corners of his mouth curled into a faraway smile. "He was great. He was probably my best big brother. I mean, the twins are fine, and Charlie is too, and Percy...well, he's Percy. But Bill...heh. Bill was something else." He looked away from the window and leaned his head back, looking at Hermione out of the corner of his eyes. "You know he was the only one who didn't nag me about anything? Charlie and Fred and George were always on the proud side when it came to Quidditch, and every time I asked to play with them, they'd laugh and pat me on the head or something. Whenever I did manage to get on a broom, though, Charlie would start coaching me and criticizing everything I did. Then there were the twins and their pranks. They'd always kidnap me when I was too small to defend myself and force me to eat some disgusting candy or test out one of their latest inventions. And Percy always complained that I would be too stupid when I got to Hogwarts if I didn't crack open a book. With Bill it was different. Gin and I would love it when he came home because he'd sit with us and tell us about Hogwarts and his friends and everything he did. We were in awe of him. And then he'd always take us aside on our own, one on one with him. He used to clap a hand on my shoulder and be like, 'Look at you, Ron. You're growing a foot a minute. By Christmas, you'll be taller than Charlie! And as handsome as your oldest brother,' and we'd both laugh and I'd jump around telling him everything I'd done when he was away. When he started working at Gringotts, it was harder, but every couple of summers he would get a holiday and race over to us, and it would be like old times. Every time I saw him, I knew I wanted to be like him, a fighter, an overall good person, someone who didn't think of you based on what abilities you did or didn't have. I still want to be like him." Ron hesitated, and Hermione saw him blink repeatedly, to keep his wet eyes from overflowing. He shrugged weakly and said, "I miss him already."

Hermione was stunned about what he had said. It had been sincere and true, and quite unlike him. He looked like he was fighting very hard against tears. Without thinking, she gently put her hands to his head and brought it to rest down on her lap. Then she just stared down at him, watching almost hypnotically as her hands ran smoothed down his hair, watching the freckled cheeks flush with the heat of emotion. Right then, she didn't see him as the boy she'd liked for so long or the irritable person he could be sometimes or the insolent student who was stubborn as a mule. She saw him as a young man she was proud to call her best friend.

"You know...the only animals that can truly cry tears are humans." She wasn't sure why the words spilled out of her mouths, but they did.

Ron didn't reply instantly. After a few seconds of silence, he said, "A cursed gift."

His true but complex statement surprised Hermione. "That's an oxymoron," she whispered.

It was a long time before Ron answered. But when he did, he left Hermione thinking about the kind of person Ron was, had always been, and would become.

"But it's true."

A/n: Review...NOW!! Er, please. =)


	11. Unspoken Secrets

A/n: All right, people, this is the last chapter of this fic. But don't worry! There is a sequel coming up, No Safe Haven, in probably a couple of weeks. It'll pick up a few months after the end of this fic. Anyway, this chapter just wraps everything up since last chapter was so powerful, I guess you would say. Okay, I hope you guys like this!

Disclaimer: I own this about as much as I own every other fantasy I'm obsessed with.

Chapter 11: Unspoken Secrets 

Hermione's hair billowed into her face, covering her dark brown eyes as they stared at the seemingly endless pit bellow her. She could distinctly hear Ron's uneven breathing beside her as he too looked down upon the final resting place of his beloved brother. Although he was standing right next to her, he felt more distant than ever, and she assumed it was because she still had found no way to ease his pain however slightly.

To her left stood Harry with a protective arm around Ginny, who had her face covered in a fragile looking handkerchief, obscuring all parts of her face except her lifeless brown eyes, blurred by tears. Hermione had to look away.

Mrs. Weasley was kneeling in front of the tombstone that already had Bill's name deeply etched, two wands at the edge forming an intricate pattern around his name. She was gazing at the coffin being lowered into the black hole in the ground, her eyes so wet they had all the water of every ocean in them, except it wasn't water but tears, and they never strayed from the corners of her eyes to her cheeks. In her hands she held a picture of Bill when he was around five, his grin missing quite a few teeth, the little boy who had grown into a fine man that would never grin that way again.

Beside his wife, Mr. Weasley had entwined his arm into hers, and subconsciously he was running his fingers across the face of his son's picture. Slow, silent rivers flowed down his pale freckled cheeks, and he did not bother to conceal his sorrow from anyone.

Hermione felt tears yet again burning the insides of her eyelids as she looked around at the devastated family. She willed herself to look away, to look at her shoes or her dark skirt, anything but the expression of indescribable pain engraved in each person's face. But she could not help gazing at the people she had known for so long.

Fred and George. That was a shock, to see the usually lively and charismatic youths pallid with disbelief, all thought erased from their features, to be replaced by deep eyes of endless nothing. She couldn't stand to see them that way. No taunts, no mischievous grins, no inventive wheels turning in their heads for some new wacky invention. So suddenly it had been snatched away and now a cold aura drifted from them, more chilly than the breeze and gloomier than the dark clouds that obscured the sun.

Fleur Delacour was a mess. Her long white-blond hair hung over her face as she hid her usually pale face now red and blotchy from crying. She seemed to care very little about the dirt staining her ankle-length white dress while kneeling in front of the gaping hole that would home the man she had loved. At the thought, Hermione felt all resent towards the French girl ebb away. Fleur knelt alone, for it seemed like she wouldn't let anyone comfort, or they had tried and failed miserably. Hermione wished she would stop crying, because it just added a heavy burden of knowing how much everyone had cried. She wished she could tell Fleur that a million tears would not bring Bill back, but even so, she knew words wouldn't stop tears from flowing. It was inevitable. It was sorrow.

Still. She wished they would stop crying.

One person was missing, and only because duties with the dragons in Romania prevented Charlie's desperate return home, to the people he knew and loved minus one. Because Percy was present. He was sitting alone under a small tree, his back against the trunk. His head was buried deeply in his arms, his hands hanging limp and white. Despite the fact that he had deserted his family, he would never be absent from his brother's funeral. So far, Hermione hadn't seen him say a word to any member of his family, but she had no way of predicting if he would. She sincerely hoped he would.

It was unbelievable that just a few days before her biggest worry had been whether she should pursue a relationship with Ron. She couldn't grasp the fact that someone had _died_, that Bill was really gone and no one would ever see him again. She wanted to forget that, in a few days they would return to their home, to that castle atop a hill overlooking that vast lake, everything would be so normal again, yet so different. They would be back to roaming the halls and avoiding the sneering gaze of Draco Malfoy. They would return to the unspoken secrets lying within the ancient structure and hidden by teachers and students alike. They would be at the place that always provided comfort but at the same time created all their troubles. They would be home.

But of course, it would be much more than home. It would be the place where pitiful stares followed Harry and Ron. The place where those unspoken secrets would become abominable truths that would add to the weight of the war on their minds. The place where more responsibilities would be placed on their shoulders for the futures they did not want to face. But, nonetheless, the place they called home.

Hermione's thoughts seemed to be fueled by the wind and the quiet sobbing. This was the deepest thinking she'd done in longer than she could remember. She bit her lip as she saw Bill's coffin gently hit the bottom of the pit. Mrs. Weasley was holding Mr. Weasley's hands, and they both had their eyes closed and were murmuring incoherent words under their breaths, speaking to their son in the only way they could. Next to them, Harry and Ginny stood looking down at the coffin, and Ginny had a soft smile on her lips and a faraway look in her eyes, probably recalling a fond memory of her brother. Fleur had stood and was now beside her father, a rather old man with a perfect white mustache adorning the underside of his nose, and he had an arm draped around his distressed daughter. She had held back any more tears she had and was now quiet, her head down, pressed again her chest.

Standing beside Ron, Hermione realized how lonely he was. How lonely all of them were. They each had a different view on what was happening at that instant, and no matter how much one understood the other, they wouldn't understand fully. _At least you can try..._

Carefully, she unclenched her cold fingers and slipped her hand into Ron's equally cold one. She felt his skin tense and blood rush into his palm for a fraction of a second, but then he relaxed. His face was emotionless, showing no signs of acknowledging Hermione. _At least you tried..._

But she did not remove her hand from his.

**END**

The house was silent. So silent Hermione almost didn't dare step on the stone floor of the kitchen for fear of making a loud an echoing sound so infinitely different and out of place. Shaking her head, she decided to forget the snack she had come down for and instead return to her room.

Her feet felt heavy as she dragged them over each individual step. She was so weary it was unbearable. She barely got any sleep at night because it was plagued with nightmares of more Weasleys dying, one after the other, until only Ron was left...and when the time came for him to die, she'd wake up with sweat drops on her face and arms and neck. It was taking away all her energy and making her extremely paranoid so that she continually checked up on everyone in the household.

Rubbing her eyes, she opened the door to the room she shared with Ginny. She blinked, rubbed her eyes again, and looked at the person sitting on Ginny's bed. "Harry? What are you doing here?"

He looked up from the Quidditch magazine he was flipping through. "Oh, hey, Hermione. I got here a few minutes ago. I think you were outside. I brought all my stuff. It's downstairs," he said.

"Oh," she replied. "I must have missed it...I'm so tired. So where's Gin?"

"She went out with Mrs. Weasley. I'm not sure where they went," he said, shrugging. He sat up and pointed at the bed opposite Ginny's, Hermione's own bed. "Sit. And why are you so tired?"

Hermione sighed and sat on her bed. She propped her elbows on her knees and dropped her head into her hands. "I just haven't been sleeping much. Nightmares...but I guess I can't complain. I mean...how do you deal with them?"

"The nightmares?" Harry asked. Hermione nodded. "Well...I don't."

"You mean you just keep getting nightmares?"

"Yeah...I don't get much sleep either."

Hermione gave a weak laugh. "I suppose I'll be stuck with these for a while, then."

Harry nodded slightly. "What are your nightmares about?"

Hermione bit her lip. "Will it help if I talk about it?"

"I wouldn't know, because generally I don't talk to anyone about my nightmares. But I think you can tell me about it, just to get it off your chest."

Hermione gave him a small smile. "Thanks. Well...I just keep dreaming that all the Weasleys are dying. It just scares me, not only because I would be absolutely devastated if anyone else died, but also because I know it's a possibility." She said the last part in a somewhat hoarse voice.

Harry reached out and patted her arm. "I have no way of telling where this is going. But I hope we don't lose anyone else. The ones we've already lost have been..." His voice trailed off. "I have no way of telling where this is going," he repeated in a whisper.

_But you do..._A voice in Harry's head made him shift uncomfortably. He knew to some extent. He averted his eyes. He knew Hermione would see in a second if he was keeping something from her, and he preferred not to talk about the prophecy just then.

Hermione, however, wasn't looking at him. She was still staring at the ground, and without looking at her face directly, he could tell she was troubled. "Hermione?"

She looked up, and he made sure all hint of his thoughts about the prophecy were erased from his features. She didn't notice anything, and he gave a silent thanks. Hermione was very helpful, not to mention a phenomenal friend, but when it came to matters like these, he was afraid she would ask too many questions.

"It's just...you know, I can't believe we're going back to Hogwarts already," she said softly. "So much has changed in such a short period of time. I don't even feel like the same person. I'm not exactly sure how I'm holding on when everything is crumbling and I can't do anything to stop it." She hesitated and gave him a sympathetic look. "You know, Harry, everyone says you're so strong and brave. And don't get me wrong, I agree with them, very much. But it's just that I don't think they understand _how _you are strong and brave. You're brave in a way that you're willing to go to so many lengths just to see one person out of danger. People don't understand that you're brave not because you rush into danger but because you do it without thinking about yourself. Nobody thinks of Voldemort as brave even though he walks into danger _he _is in, but they don't see _why _they don't call him brave, and it's because he's lacking what you have, that urgency to go into danger if it'll make even one single person live another day."

_But he will have power the Dark Lord knows not..._The words from the prophecy echoed in his head and his eyes widened. Maybe he should tell her, maybe she could help him find the power he possessed that Voldemort didn't...Surely it couldn't be what she had just mentioned? Puzzled, he dropped out of his reverie and continued to listen to his best friend, his ears pricked for anything that could be related to the part of the prophecy he was yet to understand.

"...your strength. People assume you're this great wizard with extraordinary powers."

"I'm not."

"You're a fine wizard, Harry, but not what people imagine. Thinking that a sixteen-year-old wizard can have such magnificent powers is...well, inconceivable. But it doesn't matter that you're not the greatest, most powerful wizard since Dumbledore. Your strength is in your mind and your willpower. You might lose your temper once in a while, but that's just normal. What amazes me about you is that when things are going completely wrong, you don't—freak out or something. Like at the Department of Mysteries..." Her voice softened and a hint of cautiousness slipped into her tone. He imagined she was being wary about a subject she knew was still touchy for him, a wound that was healing but still sensitive. "When we got to the prophecy and you picked it up and Lucius Malfoy spoke, I almost fainted. I...I honestly had doubts that we would make it out before they captured us. But you didn't go crazy and run amok, you devised the best plan you could think of and did as much as you could. And...and you and Ron have shown the same strength lately...because you've been healing yourselves, and it takes the most willpower and a dedicated mind to be able to pull yourself through this, especially when no one can truly help you." She shook her head. "I'm rambling, and I'm not sure if you understand what I'm saying, but just make sure you know that you are much more than people think you are in many ways that people are not capable of seeing because they assume things. Just because you have a scar on your forehead, they make you out to be this typical hero, and you're not. You're a real person who happens to have assets that make you so admirable."

Harry stared at her. "Wow, Hermione. Um...thank you."

She shook her head. "No need. It's the truth." She was quiet for a moment and then said, "Do you remember the Sorting Hat's song?" She laughed suddenly. "Okay, there has been more than one Sorting Hat song, so let me be a little clearer. _Our_ Sorting Hat song. The one that was sung to us on the first day we set foot in Hogwarts. Do you remember it?"

Harry looked incredulous. "Hermione, that was five years ago, as unbelievable as that may be. Only someone with your mind could remember something like that."

She smiled. "Well, the stanza about Gryffindor said:

You might belong in Gryffindor 

_Where dwell the brave at heart_

_Their daring nerve and chivalry _

_Set Gryffindors apart_

You know, I had never really understood exactly what the Sorting Hat had meant. I understand the brave at heart because of you and—and Ron. I saw it in Ron in our first year when he decided to give himself up on that huge chess set even though he knew he could get badly hurt, but he did it because he wanted to make sure you got to the Stone. I also saw it in him when he stood in front of Sirius on a broken leg and made sure that he could do as much as possible to defend you. And there's been tons of small incidents, like talking back to Snape and standing up to Malfoy—"

"—both done to defend you," Harry said with amusement in his voice.

Hermione blushed slightly and continued, "Whatever the reason, he showed that he was 'brave at heart,' like the Sorting Hat had described. And you've shown it because, like I just told you, you're not necessarily brave on the outside, you're really brave on the inside, and at heart, because you do brave things to protect things—people—you care about." She smiled. "And do you know who else helped me understand the Sorting Hat's song? You can't imagine who it was."

Harry looked confused. "Who?"

"Neville!"

He felt his stomach drop. He couldn't help remembering what Dumbledore had said. All this could be happening to Neville...Neville could have been the one with a scar on his forehead...Neville could have been the Boy Who Lived. He closed his eyes.

"Harry...are you okay?"

His eyes snapped open. "Fine. So what were you saying about...about Neville?"

Hermione gave him a suspicious look and said, "Well, he showed me what the sorting hat meant by 'daring nerve and chivalry.' Last year, I felt so proud of Neville. At the DA especially. Everyone expected him to fail at any charms because of his clumsiness in class. But he showed his daring nerve by trying anyway, in front of everyone, and to his surprise, he was the best student there! I think it's great that Neville finally has a little light, something to be proud of, after being ashamed and calling himself 'almost a Squib' for five years. And then at the Ministry of Magic...I was amazed that he flew there on a thestral. He took such command because he knew Gin and Ron and I couldn't see the thestrals and he had to show us how to ride them somewhat. He fought against full-grown wizards even though he was so insecure about his magic. He was the last one standing, still fighting with you when the members of the Order arrived. When I was sitting in the hospital wing with Ron the few days after that, I thought about how Neville had acted and I realized _that _is daring nerve and chivalry."

_Powers the Dark Lord knows not..._Harry pushed the words out of his head and gave Hermione the most sincere smile he could muster. "You've obviously thought about this a lot. And you're right, I agree with you. Except you forgot one person who most definitely has shown bravery, strength, and daring nerve."

"Who?"

Harry kicked her foot. "Oh, come on, you know I'm gonna say you."

Hermione laughed. "Thanks, Harry. I'm glad I have you around to talk to."

"Yeah, I know...I'm sorry about that argument we had before. I know I already apologized but I just want to make sure that you understand how different my life would be if you weren't my friend. Before Hogwarts, I understood people had friends, but I didn't know why. All Dudley's friends ever did was push each other around and throw insults at each other, like it was some caring, loving act. So I wanted someone to talk to but I really didn't want friends, if they were going to be like Dudley's. I didn't understand friendship. And then I met you and Ron and everything just sort of...clicked. Friendship was a puzzle I had for a long time. I was just missing a couple of pieces."

Hermione bit her lip. "Harry, that's beautiful. Thank you." She walked over to him, leaned down, and gave him a warm hug. "This year is going to be tough but we're together, aren't we? That's always good to know." She smiled, gave him a pat on the shoulder, and said, "I'm hungry. I'll go down and get a snack, and when Gin comes back I'll tell her you're waiting."

He grinned. "All right." He had a sudden impulse, an urge to tell her about the prophecy that he had spoken about to no one. Hermione was his friend, he could trust her, and he really needed to get the burning load off his chest. "Hermione?" he said, and she turned around, already at the door.

"Yeah?"

"Um...In June—I mean, the prophecy..." He sighed. Obviously now was not the time. "Er...I'm just glad you were there to stop the Death Eaters from getting it."

Hermione tilted her head to one side. "Me too. I wonder why it was so important to them. It's too bad it broke before we could find out what it said. But I guess now we'll never know, huh?"

Harry was holding his breath. There was a tense silence, followed by his exhale and murmur of, "No, I suppose we'll never know..."

For now, he'd keep one more unspoken secret.

**END POV**

"I love all of you. Take care of yourselves." Mrs. Weasley's choked voice rang out to them above the noise of Platform 9 ¾. She was embracing her youngest children, who were not really children anymore, and the two other young people who had become her son and daughter, hypothetically. Hermione could scarcely breathe in the tight hug. Mrs. Weasley's embrace was squishing her against Ron, and it was a very uncomfortable position indeed. Luckily, she let go of them when she heard the train toot its announcement for every student to board.

Hermione bent down slightly to kiss Mrs. Weasley on the cheek. "Thank you for everything. We promise we'll write to you often." Mrs. Weasley gave her a warm smile still traced with un-erasable sadness left behind by her son's death. Hermione bit her lip and thought of mentioning something about Bill, but decided against it and instead walked over to Mr. Weasley.

"Good-bye, Mr. Weasley. I'm sure you'll find a great job soon." She did something she had never done before. She gave Mr. Weasley a hug, and wished with all her might that the kind man would find some ray of hope in the dim light that was his life lately.

"Thank you, Hermione. Having you with us during a hard time like this made it all the more bearable." His eyes were watering as he patted her shoulder. "Molly and I are glad to have two beautiful, magnificent daughters."

Hermione gave him a grateful nod. She scooped Crookshanks into her arms and started to drag her trunk into the train, with the others close behind her, Ron and Ginny slightly more morose than she and Harry.

The four friends found an empty compartment on the train. After accommodating their trunks in a way such that they had enough room for the ride, they looked out the window and waved at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Hermione thought with a pang at her heart that for the first time, she thought they looked...old. The train began to move and slowly they shrank and shrank, until they were two dim black dots obscured by the smoke.

When they lost sight of their parents, Ron and Ginny lay back, side by side. Ginny lay her head on her older brother's shoulder and heaved a mighty sigh. Ron's face was solemn and pale. Harry and Hermione exchanged quick nervous glances but said nothing.

The train ride was quiet and uneventful. Hermione stared for hours out the foggy window. She watched pudgy clouds form at noon and rain sprinkle during lunchtime; by mid-afternoon, the rain was pounding on the windowsill and everything outside it was too dark to see anything. She rubbed her eyes and reached for a book in her bag when the compartment door slid open.

"Hi, everyone," said a familiar voice. Neville's friendly face smiled from the door, Luna's close behind. There was something about Neville's face that had changed, a new light that brightened it up somehow. Hermione caught a glimpse of his hand twirling a handsome mahogany wand, about 13 inches long. She distinctly remembered him telling her his old one, the wand that had belonged to his dad, had been broken the night at the Department of Mysteries.

Luna's eyes were as wide as ever as she waltzed in and plopped down comfortably next to Ron. Hermione felt her eyes narrow, but quickly diminished the temper that threatened to rise. A bit of the normal Ron flickered on her friend's face as he gave Luna a weird side-glance and then caught Hermione's eye. She was glad to see his mouth turn upwards slightly in the first smile she'd seen on his face in days. She returned it, feeling some heat rush to her cold cheeks.

Neville sat next to Harry, who was saying, "New earrings, Luna?"

She grinned and nodded. "Tiny thestrals. I made them during the summer. I even put a charm on them to make them invisible when I want them to be."

"Clever," Hermione murmured.

Luna looked surprised. "Thanks. I thought of making thestral earrings when I was out catching nargles." She smiled pleasantly.

Hermione discretely rolled her eyes. She was still 100% Luna.

"You know, I haven't heard any rumors about the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, have you?" Luna asked, and without waiting for an answer, she went on. "Odd, isn't it? Dad said that it might be a goblin or something. You know, one that got fed up with Fudge's notions of a goblin army and just came to work for Dumbledore. I'm not sure how it would be to have a goblin teaching us, but I just hope we have a teacher who can actually teach us some useful things. Someone—or something—interesting."

Hermione leaned her head back. She had plenty more to think about concerning her sixth year at Hogwarts, and the new DADA teacher was most certainly not the top of her lengthy list. She had a feeling the new year would be hold more unexpected, unspoken secrets than the summer had had.

She had thought her summer would involve developing her relationship with Ron. But she couldn't help feeling he had grown more distant than ever, and it disappointed her. However, she still had a chance to close that gap this year, and the next. After that...who knew? It was difficult to think that there was the possibility their paths might lead them separate ways. She'd rather not consider that. All she wanted was to be able to talk to Ron normally again. She wanted him to heal, even if slowly, the wound that Bill's demise had created. And deep down, she wanted to find out if caring for him for three years had been a waste.

For now, what she wanted the most was for all of them to be safe, alive, and together.

A/n: That's the end of this fic! No Safe Haven, the sequel, is currently up and under progress! Thanks, as always, and please review!


End file.
